🚫🥛

How to Say ‘I'm lactose intolerant.’ in German

Ich vertrage keine Laktose.

ikh fer-TRAH-geh kigh-neh lak-TOH-zeh

[ikh fer-TRAH-geh kigh-neh lak-TOH-zeh]

💬 Usage Tip: vertragen literally means "to tolerate", and kein means "no" or "not any". This gives you a reusable frame for any food you can't have: Ich vertrage keine Nüsse "I can't have nuts".

Phrase Breakdown

Ich vertrage

ikh fer-TRAH-geh

I tolerate

'vertragen' means to tolerate food. The 'v' sounds like 'f': 'fer-TRAH-ge'.

Example

Ich vertrage keinen Kaffee.

I can't tolerate coffee.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

vertrage

[fer-TRAH-geh]

tolerate (food)

From 'vertragen'; used to say your body can or can't handle a food.

Example

Ich vertrage keine Milch.

I can't tolerate milk.

keine Laktose.

kigh-neh lak-TOH-zeh

no lactose.

'keine' means 'no / not any'. 'Laktose' is stressed on '-to-': 'lak-TOH-ze'.

Example

Das hat keine Laktose.

That has no lactose.

Words in this phrase

keine

[kigh-neh]

Not a single one; indicating the absence of something.

Example

Es gibt keinen einzigen, und auch keine mehr zu finden.

There is not a single one, and also no more to find.

Laktose

[lak-TOH-zeh]

lactose

The sugar found in milk; many people are intolerant to it.

Example

Diese Milch enthält keine Laktose.

This milk contains no lactose.

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