How to say “I'm allergic to peanuts” in Chinese
“I'm allergic to peanuts” in Chinese is 我对花生过敏。, written in pinyin as Wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn.
我对花生过敏。
Wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn.
I'm allergic to peanuts.
Word by word
What each part of 我对花生过敏。 actually means.
- 我wǒI / me
- 对duìtowards / to
- 花生huāshēngpeanut
- 过敏guòmǐnto be allergic
When you use it
- Use it before any dish is chosen — the moment you sit down or open the menu — because peanut oil is common in Chinese kitchens and peanuts hide in dishes that do not look nutty.
- 过敏 (allergic) is what makes it medical: it is stronger than 我不吃花生 (I don't eat peanuts), which staff will hear as a preference they can talk you out of.
Use 我对花生过敏。 in emergency situations. Get help fast: police, doctor, lost and allergies.
Other ways people say it
The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.
我不能吃花生。
Wǒ bù néng chī huāshēng
I cannot eat peanuts.
不能 (cannot) beats 不 (don't) here — 不 sounds like a choice, 不能 sounds like a rule, and kitchens take rules more seriously.
菜里有花生吗？
Cài lǐ yǒu huāshēng ma?
Do the dishes contain peanuts?
Ask it per dish at the same time as you order it — blanket questions about the whole menu get vague answers.
不要放花生油。
Bú yào fàng huāshēngyóu
Don't use peanut oil.
花生油 (peanut oil) is the default frying oil in many kitchens, and 放 is the cooking verb for adding it — this targets the oil, not just whole peanuts.
What usually trips people up
- The general allergy phrase 我过敏 (I'm allergic) names no trigger and often gets nothing but a nod. Naming it — 花生, 海鲜 (seafood), 牛奶 (milk), 坚果 (nuts) — is what makes the kitchen act.
- Peanuts hide under famous names: 宫保鸡丁 (Kung Pao Chicken) is cooked with peanuts, and so are many cold starters. Ask even for dishes that sound safely meaty.
- No visible peanuts is not the same as peanut-free — peanut oil leaves no trace to see. 不放花生油 (no peanut oil) covers the oil, because 没有花生 alone only rules out the nuts themselves.
What you might hear back
- 没有，您放心。Méiyǒu, nín fàngxīnNone at all — don't worry.
- 里面有一点花生。Lǐmiàn yǒu yìdiǎn huāshēngThere are some peanuts in it.
- 我们用花生油炒菜。Wǒmen yòng huāshēngyóu chǎocàiWe cook with peanut oil.
Common questions
- How do you say "I'm allergic to peanuts" in Chinese?
- "I'm allergic to peanuts" in Chinese is 我对花生过敏。 — written in pinyin as Wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn. It is an emergency phrase you would use in China.
- What does 我对花生过敏。 mean in Chinese?
- 我对花生过敏。 (Wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn) means "I'm allergic to peanuts". Broken down word by word: 我 (wǒ) means "I / me"; 对 (duì) means "towards / to"; 花生 (huāshēng) means "peanut"; 过敏 (guòmǐn) means "to be allergic".
- When would you use "I'm allergic to peanuts" in Chinese?
- Use it before any dish is chosen — the moment you sit down or open the menu — because peanut oil is common in Chinese kitchens and peanuts hide in dishes that do not look nutty. 过敏 (allergic) is what makes it medical: it is stronger than 我不吃花生 (I don't eat peanuts), which staff will hear as a preference they can talk you out of.
Where you'll use it
我对花生过敏。 comes up in these situations, in this order.
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