It’s National Vegetarian Week! In honour of vegetarians everywhere, here’s how to say “I’m a vegetarian” in languages from around the world.

If you’re a vegetarian, one of your biggest worries before travelling, living or working abroad might be how to maintain your diet in a new country. With this in mind, we thought it would be good to list some simple phrases which allow you to let people know that you’re a vegetarian in another language.

  • Afrikaans (losely ‘attached’ to the Dutch language)
    • I am a vegetarian: Ik ben een vegetariër. (Ehk ihs a fe-ch*a-TAH-ri-ihr) (ch*= loch)
    • I’m sorry, but I cannot eat/drink any… : Het spijt me, maar ik eet/drink geen… (Ex yah-mer, mahr ehk kahn ni aen-ich-e …aet/drihnk ni)
    • -butter: boter (boh-tehr)
    • -milk: melk (mehlk)
    • -cheese: kaas (kahs)
    • -fish: vis (fihs)
    • -meat : vlees (flai*s) [ai, as in rain)
    • -pork : varken(vleis) (fahrk)
    • -chicken : kip (kihp)
    • -eggs : eieren (ay-ihren)
    • -soy: soja (pronounced soh-yah)
  • Arabic:
    • I am vegetarian : Ana natbateeyah
  • Bengali:
    • I do not want meat or fish : আমি মাছ-মাংস খাই না। (ami mach mang-sho khai na)
    • I eat: আমি খাই (ami khai)
    • Don’t eat: খাই না (khai na)
      • -meat: মাংস (mang-sho)
      • -fish: মাছ (mach)
      • -chicken: মুরগি (murgi)
      • -eggs: ডিম (dim)
  • Czech:
    • I am vegetarian : Jsem vegetarián
  • Dutch:
    • I am a vegetarian: Ik ben vegetariër.
    • I am a vegan: ik ben veganist
    • I don’t eat any meat: Ik eet geen vlees.
    • I’m sorry but I cannot eat any…: “Het spijt mij, maar ik kan geen … eten.”
      • -meat: vlees.
      • -fish: vis.
      • -chicken: kip.
      • -eggs: eieren.
    • I would like to have vegetarian/vegan food: Ik wil graag vegetarisch/ veganistisch eten.
    • No meat, fish, chicken: Geen vlees, vis, kip.
  • Esperanto:
    • I am a vegetarian: Mi estas vegetarano (Pornounced veg-get-arano)
    • I am a vegan: Mi estas vegano (Pronounced veg-gano)
  • Finnish:
    • I am a vegetarian: Olen kasvissyöjä.
    • I don’t eat any meat: Anteeksi, mutta en syö lihaa.
    • I’m sorry but I cannot eat any…: Anteeksi, mutta en voi syödä…
      • -meat: lihaa
      • -fish: kalaa
      • -chicken: kanaa
      • -eggs: munia
    • I would like to have vegetarian food: Haluaisin kasvisruokaa.
    • No meat, fish, chicken: Ei lihaa, kalaa, kanaa.
  • French:
    • I am a vegetarian (for men): Je suis vegétarien.
    • I am a vegetarian (female): Je suis végetarienne.
    • I am vegan [no animal products in food] : Je suis végétalien (male) / Je suis végétalienne (female)
    • I am vegan [no animal products in food or clothing]: Je suis végan (male) / Je suis végane (female).
    • I keep kosher : Je mange kasher.
    • I would like hallal food : Je voudrais des aliments hallal.
    • I’m sorry, but I cannot eat any… : Pardonnez-moi, mais je ne mange pas…
      • -animal products : des produits d’animaux
      • -dairy products : des produits laitiers
      • -butter: de beurre
      • -milk: de lait
      • -cheese: de fromage
      • -fish: du poisson
      • -meat : de la viande
      • -beef : de boeuf
      • -pork : de porc
      • -chicken : de poulet
      • -poultry : de la volaille
      • -eggs : des oeufs
      • -soy: soja (pronounced soh-jah)
      • -honey: de miel
  • German:
    • I am a (male) vegetarian: Ich bin Vegetarier
    • I am a (female) vegetarian: Ich bin Vegetarierin
    • I am a (male) vegan: Ich bin Veganer.
    • I am a (female) vegan: Ich bin Veganerin.
    • I do not eat meat: Ich esse kein Fleisch.
    • I would like something vegetarian please: Ich moechte etwas Vegetarisches bitte
    • Vegetarian (food): Vegetarisch
      • -milk: Milch
      • -butter: Butter
      • -cheese: Käse
      • -fish: Fisch
      • -soy: soja (pronounced zoy-a)
  • Italian:
    • I am a vegetarian man: Sono vegetariano
    • I am a vegetarian woman: Sono vegetariana
    • I do not want meat or fish: Non voglio carne o pesce
    • No meat: Niente carne
  • Japanese:
    • I do not eat meat: Watashi wa nikku-o tabemasen (“wah-TAH-she-wah NEE-koo-oh TAH-bay-mah-SEN”)
  • Lithuanian:
    • I am a vegetarian man/woman: Aš esu vegetaras/vegetarė.
    • I am a vegan man/woman: Aš esu veganas/veganė.
    • I am allergic (man/woman) to nuts : Aš esu alergiškas/alergiška riešutams.
  • Norwegian:
    • I am a vegetarian: Jeg er vegetarianer
    • I am a vegan: Jeg er veganer.
    • Vegetarian dish: Vegetarmat /Vegetar
    • I do not eat (something) : Jeg spiser ikke (something)
    • I do not drink (something) : Jeg drikker ikke (something)
      • meat: kjøtt
      • milk: melk
      • butter: smær
      • cheese: ost
      • fish: fisk
      • chicken: kylling
      • eggs: egg
      • honey: honning
      • animal products in food: dyreprodukter/kjøttprodukter
      • soy: soya
      • without: uten
  • Persian:
    • I am a vegetarian: Man Giaahkhaaram. من گیاهخوارم
    • I am a vegan: Man vegaan hastam. من وگان هستم
    • I am a vegan: Man iaahkhaaram. من کاملا گیاهخوارم
    • I do not eat — : Man — nemikhoram من — نمی خورم
    • I would like something vegetarian please: Man yek ghazaaye giyaahi mikhaam lotfan. من یک غذای گیاهی میخواهم لطفا
    • Vegetarian food: Ghazaaye giyaahi غذای گیاهی
    • without —: bedune— بدون
    • meatless: bedune gusht بدون گوشت
    • I don’t want: Nemikhaam نمیخواهم
      • -meat: gusht گوشت
      • -animal products: mahsulaate jaanevari/mahsulaate heyvaani محصولات جانوری / محصولات حیوانی
      • dairy: Mahsulaate labani محصولات لبنی
      • -milk: shir شیر
      • -butter: kare کره
      • -cheese: panir پنیر
      • -egg: tokhme morgh تخم مرغ
      • -chicken: morgh مرغ
      • -fish: maahi ماهی
      • -honey: asal عسل
    • I want a meatless dish: ghazaaye bedune gusht mikhaam. غذای بدون گوشت می خواهم
    • I want: Mikhaam میخواهم
      • soy: soyaa سویا
      • salad: saalaad سالاد
  • Portuguese:
    • I am a vegetarian : Sou vegetariano.(man) Sou vegetariana.(woman)
    • I do not eat meat : Eu não como carne.
    • Is there any vegetarian option on the menu? : Existe alguma opção vegetariana no cardápio?
    • I do not eat fish : Eu não como peixe
  • Marathi:
    • I do not eat meat. : मी मॉस खात नाही (mi maas khat nahi.)
    • I am a vegetarian. : मी शाकाहारी आहे. (mi shakahari aahe)
    • Please give me some vegetarian food : मला शाकाहारी अन्न द्या. (krupaya mala shakahari anna dya.)
  • Spanish:
    • I am vegetarian (man/woman) : Soy vegetariano/vegetariana
    • I do not eat meat/fish : No como carne/pescado.
    • I would like to eat something vegetarian please : Me gustaría comer algo vegetariano, por favor.
  • Tamil:
    • I am a vegetarian. : Naan Saivam
    • I do not eat meat/fish : Naan Asaivam Sappiduvadillai
      • Meat : Maamisam
      • Fish : Meen
      • Eggs : Muttai
      • Chicken : Kozhi Kari
  • Telugu:
    • I am a vegetarian. :Nenu shaakaahaarini
    • I do not eat meat/fish. :Nenu maamsamu leka chepalu thinanu
      • Meat :Maamsamu
      • Fish :chepalu
      • Eggs :gudlu
      • Chicken :kodi maamsamu
      • Korean:
    • I am a vegetarian. :Chae-sic-ju-e-ja im-ni-da
  • Hebrew:
    • I am a (male) vegetarian: a-ni tsim-kho-ni אני צמחוני
    • I am a (female) vegetarian: a-ni tsim-kho-nit אני צמחונית
    • I am a (male) vegan: a-ni tiv-o-ni אני טבעוני
    • I am a (female) vegan: a-ni tiv-o-nit אני טבעונית
    • Vegetarian dish: ma-na tsim-kho-nit מנה צמחונית
    • I (male) do not eat (something) : a-ni lo o-khel (something) אני לא אוכל
    • I (female) do not eat (something): a-ni lo o-khe-let (something) אני לא אוכלת
      • meat: ba-sar בשר
      • milk: kha-lav חלב
      • butter: khem-a חמאה
      • cheese: gvi-na גבינה
      • fish: dag דג
      • chicken: of עוף
      • eggs: bei-tsim ביצים
      • honey: dvash דבש
      • animal products in food: ma-zon min ha-khai מזון מן החי
      • soy: so-ya סויה
      • without: bli בלי

Are you a vegetarian? Have you got any interesting stories about keeping up a vegetarian diet in another country? Let us know in the comments!