Gluten-free phrasebook
Gluten-Free Restaurant Card in Spanish
A gluten-free dining card is the simplest way to eat safely in a Spanish-speaking restaurant — if it spells out cross-contact and the hidden sources, not just a vague "no wheat." Here are the exact phrases you need.
When you have celiac disease, "no wheat" isn't enough. You need to communicate that even trace amounts matter, name the hidden sources, and ask for the kitchen to avoid cross-contamination — all in clear, natural Spanish a server will take seriously. Machine translation routinely gets the medical framing wrong, softening "I cannot eat any gluten" into something closer to a preference. The phrases below are the ones Saivo uses.
How to say you have celiac disease in Spanish
This is the core medical-necessity statement. It makes clear this is a health condition, not a diet choice:
Tengo enfermedad celÃaca. No puedo ingerir gluten en ninguna cantidad, ni siquiera trazas. Incluso cantidades mÃnimas me causan daños graves de salud.
"I have celiac disease. I cannot consume gluten in any amount, not even traces. Even minimal amounts cause me serious harm to my health."
The key Spanish vocabulary to recognize on menus and signs:
- sin gluten — gluten-free (the phrase to look for; in Spain it's often on certified menus)
- enfermedad celÃaca — celiac disease; celÃaco / celÃaca — a person who has it
- trigo — wheat · cebada — barley · centeno — rye · harina — flour
The hidden gluten your card should name
The dangerous gluten is the gluten you can't see. A good Spanish card spells these out so the kitchen knows what to check:
La salsa de soja contiene trigo. Por favor, usen tamari sin gluten.
"Soy sauce contains wheat. Please use gluten-free tamari."
La carne o el pescado pueden enharinarse con harina de trigo antes de cocinar.
"Meat or fish may be dusted with wheat flour before cooking."
Cross-contamination phrases
For celiacs, how food is prepared matters as much as what's in it. These two requests cover the most common risks:
Por favor, preparen mi comida en una superficie limpia y separada. No compartan utensilios con otros alimentos.
"Please prepare my food on a clean, separate surface. Do not share utensils with other foods."
No utilicen freidoras compartidas. Por favor, usen aceite limpio exclusivo.
"Do not use shared fryers. Please use clean, dedicated oil."
Get the full Spanish card — free
Saivo assembles all of these into one clean card you hand to your server, with your severity level, cross-contact warnings, and every hidden source you choose. Spanish is free, forever — no account, works offline.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say "gluten-free" in Spanish?
"Gluten-free" is sin gluten. Celiac disease is enfermedad celÃaca, and a person with it is celÃaco (male) or celÃaca (female). To ask whether a dish is gluten-free, you can say ¿Esto es sin gluten?
Is soy sauce gluten-free in Spanish-speaking countries?
Usually no. Standard soy sauce (salsa de soja) is brewed with wheat. Ask for gluten-free tamari (tamari sin gluten), and watch for it in Asian dishes, marinades, and salad dressings.
Will restaurants in Spain and Latin America understand a gluten-free card?
Spain has strong celiac awareness — the phrase sin gluten is widely recognized and many restaurants are certified by FACE, the Spanish celiac association. Awareness varies more across Latin America, which is exactly why a clear written card that names the hidden sources is so valuable.
Is the Spanish card free in Saivo?
Yes. Spanish is one of three languages that are free forever in Saivo, along with German and Japanese. No account is required and the card works fully offline.