How to say gluten-free in French, plus the phrases for the table
“Gluten-free” in French is sans gluten. That’s the word you’ll see on packs and menus. At the table you need a little more: that it’s a medical condition, which grains to avoid, and the kitchen questions. Here they are, in French, with the English meaning.
The phrases that help at the table
Show the French line to the staff; the English underneath tells you what it says.
| What it says | French |
|---|---|
| I have coeliac disease I have coeliac disease, an autoimmune medical condition, not a diet choice or preference. |
J’ai la maladie cΕliaque, une maladie auto-immune, et non un choix ou une prΓ©fΓ©rence alimentaire. |
| What I can’t eat I cannot eat wheat (including spelt, kamut, durum and semolina), barley, rye or standard oats, or anything made from them: bread, pasta, batter, breadcrumbs, flour. |
Je ne peux pas manger de blΓ© (y compris l’Γ©peautre, le kamut, le blΓ© dur et la semoule), d’orge, de seigle ou d’avoine classique, ni aucun produit Γ base de ces cΓ©rΓ©ales : pain, pΓ’tes, pΓ’te Γ frire, chapelure, farine. |
| Even a crumb Even a tiny amount, a crumb, makes me genuinely ill. |
MΓͺme une infime quantitΓ©, une miette, me rend vraiment malade. |
| Clean pan and utensils Please use a clean pan, clean utensils and boards, and fresh oil. |
Merci d’utiliser une poΓͺle propre, des ustensiles et des planches propres, et de l’huile neuve. |
| The shared fryer Was this fried in a shared fryer or in shared oil? Oil used for breaded food is not safe for me. |
Cela a-t-il Γ©tΓ© frit dans une friteuse commune ou dans une huile partagΓ©e ? L’huile ayant servi aux aliments panΓ©s ne peut pas servir Γ la cuisson de mes aliments. |
| Hidden gluten Does this contain soy sauce, malt, flour, breadcrumbs or stock cubes? Could you check? |
Cela contient-il de la sauce soja, du malt, de la farine, de la chapelure ou des bouillons cubes ? Pourriez-vous vΓ©rifier ? |
| Please check with the kitchen Could you please check the ingredients with the kitchen? I am very happy to wait. |
Pourriez-vous vérifier les ingrédients auprès de la cuisine ? Je patienterai volontiers. |
| What I can eat I can eat rice, corn, potatoes, plain fresh meat and fish, eggs, dairy, vegetables and fruit, as long as they are not cooked with, or alongside, the items above. |
Je peux manger du riz, du maΓ―s, des pommes de terre, de la viande et du poisson frais nature, des Εufs, des produits laitiers, des lΓ©gumes et des fruits, tant qu’ils ne sont pas prΓ©parΓ©s avec les aliments ci-dessus ou Γ proximitΓ© de ceux-ci. |
| Thank you Thank you so much for taking care of this, it genuinely makes all the difference. |
Merci infiniment de vous en occuper, cela fait vraiment toute la diffΓ©rence. |
What the staff might answer
- Oui, nous pouvons le prΓ©parer Γ part, avec une poΓͺle et des ustensiles propres.
Yes, we can prepare it separately, with a clean pan and clean utensils. - Je suis dΓ©solΓ©(e), nous ne pouvons pas le garantir.
I am sorry, we cannot guarantee that today. - Un instant, je vais demander en cuisine.
One moment, let me ask the kitchen.
On labels
In France and the rest of the EU, Β«sans glutenΒ» is a regulated claim: 20 mg/kg or less. Β«Traces Γ©ventuellesΒ» (possible traces) is voluntary and doesn’t cancel a sans gluten claim. The national association is AFDIAG.
Local things to watch
- Roux (flour and butter) is the default base of French sauces: bΓ©chamel, veloutΓ© and many others. Always ask.
- Galettes de sarrasin (buckwheat crΓͺpes) can be pure buckwheat but are often blended with wheat: ask ‘100% sarrasin?’ and about the shared crΓͺpe plate.
- Baguette crumbs are everywhere: shared cutting boards, butter dishes, table service.
- Fried food (frites included) is often cooked in the same oil as breaded food.
- Stock cubes and soup bases often contain wheat.
Heading to Quebec? The same phrases work; our North America card pack includes a Canadian French card.
About these translations: every line was checked in September 2026 by three AI models (Gemini, GPT and Claude) against our English master, and in October 2026 Sylvanie De Sousa-Reis reviewed the French lines for AFDIAG, the French coeliac association (afdiag.fr). Her three corrections are in.
Take it with you
- Free card tool: these phrases on your phone, spoken aloud, with the staff answer buttons
- The printable French card (A6, phone and wallet size)
- Our hand-picked gluten-free places in France
- The Atlas: gluten-free places near you
Reviewed against the HTGF methodology: every claim sourced, every listing tiered and dated. This article is practical guidance, not medical advice.
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