Vegetarian Phrases

Learning how to tell someone you're vegetarian (in a way they will understand for their culture) is one of the most important things you can do. There's no greater feeling of relief when you struggle through a phrase like this and they ask you if egg is okay. They really understood - hooray!

I am only listing the phrases that I have verified with locals.

Language Meaning Phrase / Pronunciation

Arabic

I am a vegetarian
(That could be used pretty much in all Arabic speaking countries Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, etc.)
انا نباتيه [ana nabateya] or أنا نباتي
an-na na-ba-TEE-a

I do not eat meat, chicken, or any kind of fish
(That could be used pretty much in all Arabic speaking countries Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, etc.)
لا اكل لا لحمه و لا فراخ ولا اي نوع سمك [la 'akl la lahamih w la firakh wala 'aya nawe samak]

no meat chicken or fish لا لحم ، دجاج ، أو سمك [la lahmi , dijjaj , 'aw simak]

I am vegetarian
(Morocco)
makanakulsh lham

no meat, chicken, or fish
(Morocco)
la7am la, dajaj la, 7out la
7 is a hard guttural h

Bahasa Indonesian

chicken or meat stock? kaldu ayam atau daging?
KAHL-doo, ay-AM ah-tau da-GING?

do not use meat, chicken, fish, or shrimp tidak pakai daging, ayam, ikan, atau udang
TEE-dak pah-KAI da-GING, ay-AM eek-AN, ah-tau OO-dahng

I am vegetarian saya vegetarian
SA-ya ve-je-TAH-ree-AN

Basque

I am vegetarian barazkijalea naiz

no flesh, no fish ez haragirik, ez arrainik

Bulgarian

I am vegetarian bегетарианка съм [vegetarianka sÅ­m]

no meat, chicken, or fish hикакво месо, пиле и риба [nikakvo meso, pile I riba]

Burmese

without life thet that loot
thet like bet, that like bat, loot like loot, silent Ts so more like the tha LOO and the "th" are more like a soft "t"

Cebuano

I am vegetarian vegetarian ko

that there's no pig, chicken or fish kanang walay baboy baka, manok or isda

Czech

I am vegetarian jsem vegetariánka
sem ve-ge-TAH-ree-AN-ka

Danish

I am vegetarian jeg er vegetar

no meat, chicken, or fish intet kød, kylling eller fisk

Dutch

I am vegetarian ik ben vegetarisch (or vegetariër)
eek ben ve-je-TAH-reesch

no meat, chicken, or fish geen vlees, kip of vis
ge'en vleis kip of vis

Filipino

I am vegetarian vegetarian po ako
ve-je-TAH-ree-an poh ah-koh

I eat only vegetables gulay lang kinakain ko
goo-LAY lang kin-a-KA-een ko

Finnish

I am vegetarian olen kasvissyöjä

I don't eat meat, chicken or fish en syö lihaa, kanaa tai kalaa

no meat, chicken, or fish ei lihaa, kanaa tai kalaa

French

I am vegetarian je suis végétarien(ne fem.)
j' swee ve-je-tah-ree-ENNE

I don't eat food of meat, chicken, or fish je ne mange pas de viande, poulet ou poisson
j' n' manj pa du viand, poo-LAY, oo pwa-SAN

German

I am vegetarian ich bin vegetarier

no meat, no chicken and no fish, please kein fleisch, kein hähnchen und keinen fisch, bitte

no meat, poultry or fish kein fleisch, geflügel oder fisch

Greek

I am vegetarian Είμαι χορτοφάγος [eeme hortofágos]
EE-me hor-tow-FA-gos

no meat, chicken, or fish Όχι κρέας,κοτόπουλο και ψάρι [ohi kreas, kotopoulo i psari]

Hebrew

I am vegetarian אני צמחוני/ת [ani tsimhonit]
ani tsimhonit (for women) ani tsimhoni (for men)

Hindi

vegetarian shakahari
sha-KA-ha-ree

Icelandic

i am vegetarian
(everyone speaks English so that is probably easier. ;))
ég er graenmetisaeta

no meat, chicken, or fish ekkert kjöt, engan kjúkling og engan fisk

Italian

I am vegetarian sono vegetarian(a fem.)(o male)
SO-no ve-je-TAH-ree-AH-na

I don't eat meat, chicken, fish, nor pig
(no pig - a lot of food is made with pig fat like brioche)
non mangio né carne, né pollo, né pesce, e né maiale

Japanese

I am vegetarian 私はベジタリアンです [watashi wa vejitari an desu]
wa-TA-shee wa ve-jee-TAH-ree-AN-de

please do not have meat and fish 肉と魚無しでお願いします [niku to sakana nashi de onegai shimasu]

Lao

I eat only veggies khoy kin ta park

i no eat meat khoy bo kin siin

no put fish sauce bo sai naam plaa

put egg okay sai k'hai mai

Lithuanian

I am vegetarian aš vegetarė

I don't eat pork, chicken and fish nevalgau kiaulienos, vištienos ir žuvies

Maltese

I am vegetarian jiena vegetarjana

no meat, chicken, or fish xejn laham, tigieg, jew hut

Montenegrin

I am vegetarian ja sam vegetarijanac

no meat, chicken, or fish bez mesa, piletine ili ribe

Norwegian

I am vegetarian jeg er vegetarianer

no meat, chicken, or fish ikke noe kjøtt, kylling eller fisk

Papiamentu

I am vegetarian mi ta vegetariano

no meat, chicken, or fish no karni ni galiña ni piska

Persian

I am vegetarian geeyahi khor

no meat, chicken, or fish goosht, morgh, maahi nemikhoram

Polish

I am vegetarian jestem wegetarianką
ye-stem vegetarianka (hard g)

I do not eat meat, chicken or fish nie jem mięsa, kurczaka ani ryby

Portuguese

I am vegetarian sou vegetariana

I do not want meat, chicken or fish não quero carne, frango nem peixe

without beef, chicken or fish sem carne de boi, frango ou de peixe

I am vegetarian
(Brazil)
eu sou vegetariana

no meat, chicken, or fish
(Brazil)
sem carne, frango ou peixe

Romanian

I am vegetarian sunt vegetariana
soont ve-je-TAH-ree-AH-nah

without meat, chicken or fish fara carne, pui sau peshte
FA-ra CAR-ne poo-EE sow PES-te

Serbian (Latin)

I am vegetarian ja sam vegetarijanac

no meat, chicken, or fish bez mesa, piletine i ribe

Slovak

I am vegetarian som vegetarián´n

no meat, chicken, or fish žiadne mäso, kura či rybu

Spanish

chicken stock / bouillon
(also caldo de pollo)
consome de pollo
cohn-soh-meh deh poi-yo

Does this have animal products? Esto tiene productos de animales?
eh-stoh tyeh-neh proh-dook-tohs deh ah-nee-mah-lehs?

Does this have chicken stock? Tiene caldo de pollo?
tyeh-neh cahl-doh deh poi-yo?

I am vegetarian soy vegetarian(a fem.)(o male)
soy ve-he-TAH-ree-YAH-nah

I don't eat meat, chicken, or fish no como carne, pollo o pescado

Is this made with water or chicken stock?
(handy for asking about the gallo pinto)
Está hecho con agua o caldo de pollo?

no meat, no chicken, no fish ni carne, ni pollo, ni pescado
nee CAR-ne, nee POY-o, nee pes-CA-do

with vegetables instead of mean (chicken), please con verduras en lugar de carne (pollo) por favor

Swahili

I eat vegetables mimi nakula mbogamboga
mee-mee na-KOO-la m'BO-ga m'BO-ga

I will not eat meat, chicken, fish mimi siili nyama, kuku, samaki
mee-mee SEE-lee NYA-ma, koo-koo, sa-MA-ki

Swedish

I am vegetarian jag är vegetarian

no meat, chicken, or fish inget kött, kyckling eller fisk

Tamil

I am vegetarian naan saivam

I will not eat meat iraichi sapdamaten

Thai

don't want fish sauce mai sai nam plaa
my sai nam plaa

food without meat mang sa wirat
maang saa WEE-rat

Turkish

I am a vegetarian ben vejeteryenim

I don't want fish, meat or chicken balik, et ya da tavuk istemiyorum

Vietnamese

I am vegetarian tôi ăn chay
doi ann (like the name) chai (like the drink)

no fish sauce khong muoc mam
mam is more like mom

no meat, chicken, or fish không thịt, gà, đồ biển

vegetarian food/restaurant com chay
chai (like the drink)

Welsh

I'm a vegetarian dwi'n lysieuwr
dween luh-shy-OOR

Zulu

I do not eat meat angiyidli inyama

that includes chicken and all sea creatures kubalwa ngisho inkukhu nazozonke izilwane zasolwandle njengofishi imbala
 
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