French Phrase
C'est végétarien ?
Meaning
Literally “Is it vegetarian?” This question is used to find out whether a dish, a menu item, or any food preparation contains no meat.
When to use
You would ask this in a restaurant, at a friend’s house, or when reading a menu. It’s a quick way to confirm that a meal fits a vegetarian diet before you order or serve it.
✦Grammar Breakdown
C'estvégétarien?
C'est contraction
C' is the contraction of the demonstrative pronoun 'ce' before the verb 'être' (est). It means 'it is' or 'this is'.
Predicate adjective agreement
When an adjective follows 'c'est', it usually stays in the masculine singular form because the subject 'ce' is neutral.
Question intonation
Raising the pitch at the end of the sentence turns a statement into a yes‑no question without changing word order.
🗨In Conversation
C'est végétarien ?
Is it vegetarian?
Oui, c'est sans viande et sans poisson.
Yes, it’s without meat or fish.
✕Common Mistakes
C'est végétarienne ?
The adjective stays masculine because the subject 'ce' is neutral; using the feminine form is incorrect.
Vous êtes végétarien ?
This asks if the person is vegetarian, not if the dish is. Use 'C'est végétarien ?' for food.
Est ce végétarien ?
Missing the hyphen after 'est' and the inversion; the correct form is 'Est‑ce végétarien ?'.
↔Alternatives
Est‑ce végétarien ?
Is it vegetarian?
C'est sans viande ?
Is it meat‑free?
Ce plat est‑il végétarien ?
Is this dish vegetarian?
Cultural Tip
In France, the word végétarien is widely understood, but many menus still use the phrase "sans viande" (without meat) to signal a vegetarian option. In more formal settings, especially in fine‑dining restaurants, you’ll see the label "végétarien" printed next to the dish. Remember that "végétarien" refers to a diet without meat, but it may still include dairy and eggs, so if you need a vegan dish ask "c'est végan ?" or "sans produits animaux".