How to Say 'I Am Vegan' in Japanese and Avoid Animal Products
Learn to state that you are vegan in Japanese, explain that you avoid meat, fish, dairy and eggs, and ask whether a dish contains animal products.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn how to say 'I am vegan' in Japanese and how to check whether food contains animal products. Japanese does not have a single everyday word that everyone recognises as 'vegan', so the reliable approach is to state the word ヴィーガン (viigan) and then explain what you do not eat. This matters because vegetarianism is better known in Japan, and many people understand it as 'no meat' while still serving fish, dashi (fish stock), dairy or eggs. You will practise a clear self-introduction, a list of foods you avoid, and polite questions you can use in restaurants or at someone's home.
By the end, you can…
- say 'I am vegan' in Japanese and explain what I do not eat.
- ask whether a dish contains meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- politely ask whether a restaurant can prepare something without animal products.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
私はヴィーガンです。
I am vegan.
wa-ta-shi wa vii-gan desu
The standard, clear way to state your diet. ヴィーガン is a loanword written in katakana; the long vowel in vii is held for two beats.
肉と魚を食べません。
I do not eat meat or fish.
ni-ku to sa-ka-na o ta-be-ma-sen
Adds the two categories Japanese listeners most often assume are the only ones that matter. The particle と (to) links the nouns, and を (o) marks the object.
卵と乳製品も食べません。
I also do not eat eggs or dairy products.
ta-ma-go to nyū-sei-hin mo ta-be-ma-sen
This is the key sentence that separates vegan from vegetarian in most people's minds. も (mo) means 'also', so it links back to the previous sentence.
これはヴィーガンですか。
Is this vegan?
ko-re wa vii-gan desu ka
A simple yes-or-no question about a dish. Add か (ka) at the end to make it a question; rising intonation is natural.
出汁は入っていますか。
Does it contain dashi (fish stock)?
da-shi wa hait-te i-ma-su ka
Dashi is a common hidden source of fish in otherwise vegetable-looking Japanese dishes. 入っていますか asks whether something has been put in.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is a noun plus は (wa) plus 食べません (tabemasen), meaning 'I do not eat ~'. For example, 肉は食べません (niku wa tabemasen) means 'I do not eat meat', and 卵は食べません (tamago wa tabemasen) means 'I do not eat eggs'. To list several items, use と (to) between nouns: 肉と魚 (niku to sakana), 'meat and fish'. To add another item to what you have already said, use も (mo): 卵も食べません (tamago mo tabemasen), 'I do not eat eggs either'. Japanese verbs do not change for 'I', 'you' or 'we', so 食べません works for all of them; context and the topic particle は show who is meant.
When to use it
Start with 私はヴィーガンです (watashi wa viigan desu) when you introduce yourself or explain your diet. Then give the short list of what you avoid, because the word alone may not be understood. In a restaurant, ask これはヴィーガンですか (kore wa viigan desu ka) while pointing at a menu item, or ask about specific ingredients such as 出汁は入っていますか (dashi wa haitte imasu ka). At someone's home, the same sentences work, but soften the request with すみません (sumimasen), 'excuse me', or お願いします (onegaishimasu), 'please'. If staff seem unsure, offer a concrete alternative: 野菜だけの料理はありますか (yasai dake no ryōri wa arimasu ka), 'Is there a vegetable-only dish?'
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、私はヴィーガンです。肉と魚を食べません。
Excuse me, I am vegan. I do not eat meat or fish.su-mi-ma-sen, wa-ta-shi wa vii-gan desu. ni-ku to sa-ka-na o ta-be-ma-senわかりました。卵と乳製品はどうですか。
Understood. What about eggs and dairy products?wa-ka-ri-ma-shi-ta. ta-ma-go to nyū-sei-hin wa dō desu ka卵と乳製品も食べません。出汁は入っていますか。
I do not eat eggs or dairy products either. Does it contain dashi?ta-ma-go to nyū-sei-hin mo ta-be-ma-sen. da-shi wa hait-te i-ma-su kaはい、入っています。野菜だけの料理がありますよ。
Yes, it does. We have a vegetable-only dish.hai, hait-te i-ma-su. ya-sai da-ke no ryō-ri ga a-ri-ma-su yoA little context goes a long way
Japanese menus often mark vegetarian dishes, but the word ベジタリアン (bejitarian) is more widely known than ヴィーガン, and it may still include fish stock, dairy or eggs. Stating the word and then listing what you avoid is clearer and more polite than expecting one term to cover everything. When someone prepares food for you, a brief すみません and a specific request are usually received well.
One thing to watch for
Saying only 私はベジタリアンです (watashi wa bejitarian de-su) and assuming it means vegan.
Try this instead: Use 私はヴィーガンです (watashi wa viigan desu) and add 卵と乳製品も食べません (tamago to nyū-sei-hin mo tabemasen), 'I do not eat eggs or dairy products either'. This prevents a vegetarian dish with eggs, cheese or dashi from being served.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I do not eat meat or fish' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
肉と魚を食べません。 (niku to sakana o tabemasen)
This uses と to link meat and fish and 食べません for the polite negative. 肉も魚も食べません (niku mo sakana mo tabemasen) is also correct and slightly emphasises both items.
2You want to check whether a soup contains fish stock. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
出汁は入っていますか。 (dashi wa haitte imasu ka)
This asks whether dashi is included. If you want to ask about a specific dish, point and say これは出汁が入っていますか (kore wa dashi ga haitte imasu ka).
3How do you politely ask whether there is a vegetable-only dish?
Show a sample answer
野菜だけの料理はありますか。 (yasai dake no ryōri wa arimasu ka)
だけ (dake) means 'only', and ありますか asks whether something exists. 野菜料理はありますか (yasai ryōri wa arimasu ka) is also acceptable but does not stress that the dish must contain only vegetables.
Say 私はヴィーガンです, then list what you avoid with 食べません, and ask about hidden ingredients such as 出汁 before you order.
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