We’ve created an Italian language guide for vegan travelers in Italy, see below for phrases that will come in handy when eating out, as well as help you reduce the waste you create.
Most people would agree that Italian cuisine is amongst the best in the world and for good reason. With dishes like Panzanella, Pizza, and Pasta and an abundance of quality fruits and vegetables it is no wonder and a wide range of dishes being accidentally vegan, it is no wonder that Italy is an incredible destination for vegans and nonvegans.
However, despite Italian menus being very transparent and explaining well what is inside each dish it is helpful to have a list of phrases you can refer to when speaking with the server so you can politely find out if a dish is vegan or not.
That’s why we have created this table of phrases that will not only help you find out if something is vegan but also give you some language to help you explain veganism, some helpful Italian names for animal and vegan ingredients, and even some language that will help you get something vegan, even if there is nothing vegan on the menu.
While making sure that vegans are getting the food they want, something that everyone is starting to think more about is how we can generate a little less waste when we are traveling. That’s why we have a few phrases that you can have at your disposal so you can politely refuse that straw or plastic bag.
Finally, we have included a number of phrases that will be useful in case of an emergency.
Feel free to just print out the webpage for this and keep it in your wallet, but we think you will probably want to have a PDF printout of this sheet so you can put it in your purse and have it with you at all times throughout your travels to Italy.
if you are interested in deepening your language skills before traveling, don’t miss this podcast episode and show notes where I talk with polyglot Wendy from The Nomadic Vegan.
| GENERAL | |
| English | Italian |
| Hello! | Ciao! |
| Goodbye! | Arrivederci! |
| Thank you | Grazie |
| Please | Per favore |
| How are you? | Come stay? |
| VEGAN | |
| I am a vegan. I do not eat meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, milk, or milk products (butter, yogurt, cheese). | Sono vegano. Non mangio carne, pesce, crostacei, pollame, uova, latte o derivati (burro, yogurt, formaggio). |
| I eat vegan | Io Sono vegan |
| Does this food contain meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, milk, or milk products? | Questo alimento contiene carne, pesce, crostacei, pollame, uova, latte o derivati? |
| I can’t eat meat. | Non posso mangiare carne. |
| Please no broth made from meat or fish. | Per favore, niente brodo di carne o pesce. |
| Fish | Pesce |
| Meat | Carne |
| Pork | Maiale |
| Chicken | Pollo |
| Beef | Manzo |
| Egg | Love |
| Seafood | Frutti di mare |
| Cow’s milk | Latte di Lucca |
| Cheese | Formaggio |
| Yogurt | Yogurt |
| Tofu | Tofu |
| Soya milk | Latte di soia |
| Vegetables | Verdure |
| Animal | Animale |
| Vegan | Vegano |
| without __________ | senza __________ |
| with __________ | con __________ |
| Instead of … with_____ can I have the ____ with______? | Invece di … con _____ posso avere ____ con ______? |
| Please tell me if I order something that is not vegan. | Per favore, dimmi se ordino qualcosa di non vegano. |
| Can you suggest anything from your menu that is vegan or your chef can make it vegan? | Posso suggerire qualcosa dal vostro menù che sia vegano o che il vostro chef può rendere vegano? |
| No fish sauce | Niente salsa di pesce |
| I eat vegan | Io Sono vegan |
| Can you check with the chef that this is vegan? | Puoi controllare con lo chef che questo sia vegano? |
| Can you make this dish vegan? | Puoi rendere questo piatto vegano? |
| Please fry in oil, not butter. | Per favore, friggi nell’olio e non nel burro |
| Thank you for accommodating me at your restaurant. I really appreciate you and the kitchen staff looking after me. | Grazie per avermi ospitato nel tuo ristorante. Sono molto riconoscente a te e al personale di cucina che si è preso cura di me. |
| Does this have any leather, silk, wool or anything else from an animal? | Questo ha pelle, seta, lana o qualsiasi altra cosa di provenienza animale? |
| ZERO WASTE | |
| No straw, please. | Niente cannuccia, per favore. |
| I really don’t want a straw. | Davvero, non voglio una cannuccia. |
| No plastic bag! | Niente borsa di plastica! |
| IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY | |
| Please call an ambulance! | Per favore chiama un’ambulanza! |
| I need someone that speaks English now. It’s an emergency! | Ho bisogno di qualcuno che parli inglese ora. È un’emergenza! |
| Please send an ambulance with a doctor on board if possible. | Per favore, inviate un’ambulanza con un medico a bordo, se possible. |
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