LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N5Talking to real people · Oct 4, 2026

Allergy in Japanese: アレルギー, 〜アレルギーがあります, and 花粉症かふんしょう

"Allergy" in Japanese is アレルギー: 卵たまごアレルギーがあります means "I have an egg allergy". To check a dish, ask 〜は入はいっていますか?, "Does this contain ~?" To order without something, say 〜抜ぬきでお願ねがいします. Hay fever, very common in Japan, is 花粉症かふんしょう (かふんしょう).

When you have an allergy, being able to explain it clearly in Japanese is not a nice-to-have. This post focuses on the phrases that work at restaurants, shops and with friends, plus the ingredient words you will see on labels. One honest note first: for a serious allergy, a written card in Japanese and double-checking with staff are the safest approach, because a quick spoken exchange can be misunderstood.

How do you say "I have an allergy" in Japanese?

What does アレルギー mean?

アレルギー is "allergy", a loanword. Put the allergen in front: 卵たまごアレルギー (egg allergy), そばアレルギー (buckwheat allergy).

卵たまごアレルギーがあります。 — I have an egg allergy. (polite, clear) 私わたしはエビアレルギーです。 — I'm allergic to shrimp. (polite)

Both 〜アレルギーがあります and 〜アレルギーです are natural.

How do you ask if a dish contains something?

Ask 〜は入はいっていますか?, "Is ~ in it?"

これに卵たまごは入はいっていますか? — Does this have egg in it? (polite) 乳製品にゅうせいひんは使つかっていますか? — Do you use dairy products? (polite)

乳製品にゅうせいひん (にゅうせいひん) means dairy products.

How do you order without an ingredient?

Say 〜抜ぬきでお願ねがいします (〜ぬきでおねがいします), "without ~, please".

ネギ抜ぬきでお願ねがいします。 — No green onions, please. (polite)

For an allergy, it is clearer to explain why: アレルギーがあるので、卵たまご抜ぬきでお願ねがいします. For more restaurant phrases, see how to change your order in Japanese.

What allergy words should you know?

What are common allergen words?

Japanese food labels list major allergens. These words are worth recognizing.

Word Reading Meaning
卵たまご たまご egg
乳にゅう / 乳製品にゅうせいひん にゅう / にゅうせいひん milk / dairy
小麦こむぎ こむぎ wheat
そば そば buckwheat
えび えび shrimp
かに かに crab
落花生らっかせい らっかせい peanut
くるみ くるみ walnut
大豆だいず だいず soybean

What is 花粉症かふんしょう?

花粉症かふんしょう (かふんしょう) is hay fever, a pollen allergy. In Japan, spring pollen season makes it a common small-talk topic.

花粉症かふんしょうで目めがかゆい。 — My eyes are itchy because of hay fever. (casual)

For sneezing and what to say, see Japanese sneezes.

How do you describe symptoms?

Useful words are かゆい (itchy), 鼻水はなみず (はなみず, runny nose), and 発疹はっしん (ほっしん, rash).

食たべたら、かゆくなりました。 — After eating it, I got itchy. (polite)

For feeling unwell in general, see how to say sick in Japanese.

Beyond the basics

How do you say "I can't eat ~"?

Say 〜が食たべられません, "I can't eat ~". It covers allergies, diet and religion without needing details.

ナッツが食たべられません。 — I can't eat nuts. (polite)

What is the difference between 苦手にがて and アレルギー?

苦手にがて (にがて) is a dislike: "not my thing". アレルギー is medical. Do not say 苦手にがて if it is really an allergy, because staff may treat it as a preference.

辛からいものは苦手にがてです。 — I'm not good with spicy food. (polite, a preference)

For picky eating, see picky eater in Japanese.

What is アレルギー表示ひょうじ?

アレルギー表示ひょうじ (アレルギーひょうじ) is allergen labeling on packaged food. Look for the ingredient list, 原材料げんざいりょう (げんざいりょう).

原材料げんざいりょうを確認かくにんしてもいいですか。 — May I check the ingredients? (polite)

Common mistakes

  • Saying 苦手にがて for a real allergy. Say アレルギーがあります so it is taken seriously.
  • Saying 卵たまごが入はいる? only. The polite question is 卵たまごは入はいっていますか?
  • Relying only on speech for a serious allergy. A written card is safer.
  • Confusing 抜ぬき and 少すくなめ. 抜ぬき is "without"; 少すくなめ is "a little less".
  • Reading 花粉症かふんしょう as はなこなしょう. It is かふんしょう.

Practice

Try each answer before opening it. Questions 7 and 8 are a pair: a dislike versus a medical allergy.

1. Say politely, "I have an egg allergy."

Show answer

卵たまごアレルギーがあります。 — allergen + アレルギー.

2. Ask politely, "Does this have egg in it?"

Show answer

これに卵たまごは入はいっていますか? — 〜は入はいっていますか.

3. Ask politely, "Do you use dairy products?"

Show answer

乳製品にゅうせいひんは使つかっていますか? — 乳製品にゅうせいひん is dairy.

4. Order politely without green onions.

Show answer

ネギ抜ぬきでお願ねがいします。 — 〜抜ぬき is "without".

5. Say casually, "My eyes are itchy because of hay fever."

Show answer

花粉症かふんしょうで目めがかゆい。 — 花粉症かふんしょう is hay fever.

6. Say politely, "I can't eat nuts."

Show answer

ナッツが食たべられません。 — 〜が食たべられません.

7. You just don't like spicy food. Say so politely.

Show answer

辛からいものは苦手にがてです。 — 苦手にがて is a preference.

8. You have a shrimp allergy. Say so politely.

Show answer

エビアレルギーがあります。 — a medical allergy. This is the pair to question 7.

9. Ask politely to check the ingredients.

Show answer

原材料げんざいりょうを確認かくにんしてもいいですか。 — 原材料げんざいりょう is the ingredient list.

10. Say politely, "After eating it, I got itchy."

Show answer

食たべたら、かゆくなりました。 — かゆい + なる.

Before a trip, rehearse the whole restaurant exchange, from 卵たまごアレルギーがあります to 〜抜ぬきでお願ねがいします, in a trial lesson, and keep a written card as a backup for anything serious.

FAQ

How do you say "allergy" in Japanese? アレルギー. "I have a ~ allergy" is 〜アレルギーがあります.

How do you ask if a dish contains an allergen? 〜は入はいっていますか?

How do you order without an ingredient? 〜抜ぬきでお願ねがいします.

What is 花粉症かふんしょう? Hay fever, a pollen allergy, very common in Japan in spring.

Should I say 苦手にがて for an allergy? No. 苦手にがて sounds like a preference. Say アレルギーがあります.

What is the safest way to communicate a serious allergy? A written card in Japanese plus confirming with staff.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

アレルギー	アレルギー — allergy
卵	たまご — egg
乳製品	にゅうせいひん — dairy products
小麦	こむぎ — wheat
落花生	らっかせい — peanut
くるみ	くるみ — walnut
大豆	だいず — soybean
抜き	ぬき — without
花粉症	かふんしょう — hay fever
かゆい	かゆい — itchy
鼻水	はなみず — runny nose
発疹	ほっしん — rash
原材料	げんざいりょう — ingredients
苦手	にがて — not one's thing

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime. Allergy phrases come up when learners prepare for trips and want to eat safely, and I always add that a written card is the most reliable backup for anything serious. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or try the Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference dictionaries.

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