Potluck
Plan the shared meal, flag an allergy clearly, and describe your dish — out loud.
Be specific, not polite-vague — safety beats manners here. Name the allergy exactly: soy alérgico a los mariscos, or with stakes, tengo alergia grave a los mariscos. Ask about ingredients directly: soy intolerante a la lactosa, ¿lleva leche? — ¿el plato tiene gluten? And if you're the one cooking for a group, ask before you cook: ¿alguien es alérgico a algo que deba saber? One regional trap: peanut is maní across Latin America but cacahuete in Spain.
Below: the phrases that keep a potluck safe and organized, what locals actually say, the words that change by country — and a way to rehearse the whole allergy conversation out loud before dinner's on the line.
The warm-up pack
The phrases that actually get said organizing a potluck — claiming your dish, flagging an allergy, and taking the compliment.
01 · Kick off the plan
¿Qué tal si cada uno trae un plato?
How about each person brings a dish?
¿Qué tal si...? is the easy, low-pressure way to float an idea to a group without sounding like you're issuing instructions.
02 · Claim your slot
Yo me encargo del postre, ¿alguien trae ensalada?
I'll take care of dessert, anyone bringing salad?
Claiming a dish and immediately asking who's covering the next one keeps the coordination moving instead of stalling into silence.
03 · Avoid the duplicate
¿Hacemos una lista para no repetir platos?
Shall we make a list so we don't repeat dishes?
The group-chat move that saves you from three people showing up with the same dish.
04 · Ask the whole group
¿Hay alguien vegetariano o vegano en el grupo?
Is anyone in the group vegetarian or vegan?
Asking before you cook, not at the table, is what actually prevents the awkward moment.
05 · Be specific about your restriction
Soy intolerante a la lactosa, ¿lleva leche?
I'm lactose intolerant, does it contain milk?
Naming the exact restriction and asking a direct question gets you a real answer — vague works against you here.
06 · When it's serious
Tengo alergia grave a los mariscos.
I have a severe allergy to shellfish.
Grave is the word that tells people this isn't a preference — say it plainly, don't soften it.
07 · Ask for the safety net
¿Puedes etiquetar qué ingredientes lleva tu plato?
Can you label what ingredients your dish has?
A completely normal, expected request at a potluck with any allergies in the group — nobody will think it's fussy.
08 · Describe what you made
Lleva pollo, arroz y un poco de azafrán.
It has chicken, rice, and a bit of saffron.
Lleva is the everyday verb for what's "in" a dish — use it instead of tiene and you'll sound like you actually cook.
09 · Warn them kindly
Está un poco picante, aviso.
It's a bit spicy, just a heads up.
Aviso tacked onto the end is doing the polite work — it turns a warning into a friendly heads-up.
10 · Take the compliment
¡Esto está riquísimo! ¿Me pasas la receta?
This is delicious! Can you share the recipe?
Riquísimo is the word people actually reach for at the table — more than "bueno" every time.
11 · Close the night
La próxima vez lo hacemos en mi casa.
Next time we'll do it at my place.
Offering to host next time is how these dinners turn into a standing tradition instead of a one-off.
FLUENT
Finally, someone to talk to in Spanish.
Ten-minute spoken lessons. A teacher who answers back — and gently fixes what you got wrong.
First 10 lessons freeandbefluent.com/spanish/potluckRegional Spanish
Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.
| English | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| beans | los frijoles | los porotos |
| disposable (plates & cutlery) | desechables | descartables |
| "this is delicious!" | ¡está bien chido! | ¡está riquísimo, che! |
Watch out
The part no phrase list can do
Isabella
Your conversation teacher for this pack
In the Potluck pack, the final lesson is a WhatsApp voice-note exchange two days before the dinner — and Isabella is the host: easygoing, allergic to duplicate dishes, keeps a running list she reads back twice to confirm. Then the twist lands: one guest is celiac, another is allergic to shellfish, and your dish is suddenly a problem. You adapt it, label the ingredients, and lock in who brings what. Out loud. And she confirms every detail back at you:
Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.
Finish the 5 lessons and Potluck is yours — earned, not given.
First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you
Quick answers
Soy alérgico a los mariscos — I'm allergic to shellfish. If it's serious, say so: tengo alergia grave a los mariscos. Never soften it into something vague like 'I can't eat everything' — name the ingredient.
Ask about the dish, not the cook: ¿el plato tiene gluten? — soy intolerante a la lactosa, ¿lleva leche? Llevar is the everyday verb for what a dish 'has in it'.
Both — maní across Latin America, cacahuete in Spain. If it's an allergy, say it the local way and clearly: soy alérgico al maní.
Open with ¿qué tal si cada uno trae un plato?, then keep it duplicate-free: ¿hacemos una lista para no repetir platos? Claim your slot — yo me encargo del postre, ¿alguien trae ensalada? — and don't forget logistics: yo llevo platos y cubiertos desechables.
Ingredients first: lleva pollo, arroz y un poco de azafrán. Add the story — es una receta de mi abuela — and any warnings: está un poco picante, aviso, or se come frío, así que no hace falta calentarlo.
