Portuguese Phrase
Meu filho tem alergia a laticínios.
Meaning
The sentence states that the speaker’s son suffers from an allergy to dairy products. It is a factual health statement, not a request or warning, and it uses the verb ‘ter’ to indicate a condition.
When to use
Use this phrase when talking to doctors, teachers, or friends about your child’s health, especially when you need to explain dietary restrictions or request accommodations.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Meufilhotemalergiaalaticínios.
Possessive adjective (Meu)
‘Meu’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is masculine singular to match ‘filho’.
Verb ‘ter’ (tem)
‘Tem’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘ter’, used to express possession or a state (has).
Noun ‘alergia’
A feminine noun meaning ‘allergy’; it takes the preposition ‘a’ when indicating the trigger.
Preposition ‘a’ + plural noun
When the trigger is a plural noun, the preposition stays singular: ‘a laticínios’ (to dairy products).
Plural noun ‘laticínios’
Means ‘dairy products’; it is masculine plural, so the article would be ‘os’, but after ‘a’ it stays unchanged.
🗨In Conversation
Meu filho tem alergia a laticínios.
My son is allergic to dairy products.
Entendo, vamos procurar alternativas sem leite.
I understand, let's look for milk‑free alternatives.
✕Common Mistakes
Meu filho tem alergia de laticínios.
The preposition ‘de’ does not introduce the trigger of an allergy; use ‘a’ instead.
Meu filho tem alergia ao laticínios.
‘Ao’ contracts ‘a + o’, which is singular; the trigger here is plural, so keep the simple ‘a’.
Meu filho tem alergia a leite.
‘Leite’ (milk) is singular; if you mean all dairy products, use the plural ‘laticínios’. Using singular changes the meaning.
↔Alternatives
Meu filho é alérgico a laticínios.
My son is allergic to dairy products.
Meu filho tem intolerância ao leite.
My son is lactose intolerant.
Ele não pode consumir laticínios.
He cannot consume dairy products.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, many people confuse ‘alergia’ (immune‑system reaction) with ‘intolerância’ (digestive issue). When you truly have an immune response, use ‘alergia’; for lactose intolerance, say ‘intolerância ao leite’. Also, when speaking to health professionals, be precise about the specific foods that cause the reaction.