Veggie, Vegetarian, or Vegan?
2023-01-07
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between three words: "veggie," "vegetarian," and "vegan."
2Hi VOA team and happy holidays!
3I am wondering if you could help me clarify the difference between "vegan," "vegetarian," and "veggie."
4When can we use them? Or are they interchangeable?
5Thank you,
6Noura
7Dear Noura,
8As we start the new year, many of us are thinking about ways to be healthier.
9This is a great question to begin our 2023 series of Ask a Teacher.
10Some of the answers might surprise you!
11Let's start with "veggie."
12In American English, the noun "veggie" is a shortened and informal way to say "vegetable."
13It is used as a countable noun.
14To make the noun plural we add an "s."
15My guinea pigs love to eat a many kinds of veggies, including lettuce, carrots and broccoli.
16Veggie can also be used as an adjective meaning "vegetarian."
17American English speakers often use "veggie" as an adjective to describe vegetarian recipes and dishes rather than describing people as being "veggies."
18I love making veggie tortilla chip soup with peppers, corn and tomatoes!
19We are grilling up some veggie burgers made with black beans.
20Now let's move onto "vegetarian."
21As a noun, a "vegetarian" is a person who does not eat meat or fish.
22They usually eat foods made from plants.
23There are different kinds of vegetarians.
24Some eat eggs, others eat and drink dairy products like cheese and milk. Other people are flexible in their diet.
25For example, they might eat vegetarian food on some days of the week and eat animal products on other days.
26They are called "flexitarians."
27Adaline became a vegetarian in college.
28Mark is an ovo-vegetarian. He does not eat any animal products except for eggs.
29"Vegetarian" can also be an adjective describing something that only has fruit or vegetables and no meat or fish.
30I love Indian food not just for the bold and spicy flavors, but there are many vegetarian choices!
31Let's move onto "vegan."
32If a vegetarian does not eat fish or meat, what is a vegan?
33A vegan, as a noun, is someone who does not eat or use any animal products or products made from animals.
34This can include things like honey from bees, whey protein from milk, and a color made from crushed insects called carmine often used in cosmetics.
35She prefers agave nectar to honey because she is a vegan.
36Veganism is more of a lifestyle and not just what people eat. Vegans are against killing animals.
37They do not use any animal products for health and environmental reasons.
38They are also against cruelty to animals.
39Davey Havok, the singer of the band AFI, has been a vegan for 24 years.
40Just like "vegetarian," "vegan" can be an adjective, too.
41It describes something that was not made from animal products and that did not involve harming an animal in any way.
42Many bags are now made with vegan leather.
43Cosmetic brands are becoming vegan and cruelty-free.
44Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Noura!
45What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
46And that's Ask a Teacher.
47I'm Faith Pirlo.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between three words: "veggie," "vegetarian," and "vegan." 2Question 3Hi VOA team and happy holidays! 4I am wondering if you could help me clarify the difference between "vegan," "vegetarian," and "veggie." When can we use them? Or are they interchangeable? 5Thank you, 6Noura 7Answer 8Dear Noura, 9As we start the new year, many of us are thinking about ways to be healthier. This is a great question to begin our 2023 series of Ask a Teacher. Some of the answers might surprise you! 10Let's start with "veggie." 11In American English, the noun "veggie" is a shortened and informal way to say "vegetable." It is used as a countable noun. To make the noun plural we add an "s." 12My guinea pigs love to eat a many kinds of veggies, including lettuce, carrots and broccoli. 13Veggie can also be used as an adjective meaning "vegetarian." American English speakers often use "veggie" as an adjective to describe vegetarian recipes and dishes rather than describing people as being "veggies." 14I love making veggie tortilla chip soup with peppers, corn and tomatoes! 15We are grilling up some veggie burgers made with black beans. 16Now let's move onto "vegetarian." 17As a noun, a "vegetarian" is a person who does not eat meat or fish. They usually eat foods made from plants. There are different kinds of vegetarians. Some eat eggs, others eat and drink dairy products like cheese and milk. Other people are flexible in their diet. For example, they might eat vegetarian food on some days of the week and eat animal products on other days. They are called "flexitarians." 18Adaline became a vegetarian in college. 19Mark is an ovo-vegetarian. He does not eat any animal products except for eggs. 20"Vegetarian" can also be an adjective describing something that only has fruit or vegetables and no meat or fish. 21I love Indian food not just for the bold and spicy flavors, but there are many vegetarian choices! 22Let's move onto "vegan." 23If a vegetarian does not eat fish or meat, what is a vegan? 24A vegan, as a noun, is someone who does not eat or use any animal products or products made from animals. This can include things like honey from bees, whey protein from milk, and a color made from crushed insects called carmine often used in cosmetics. 25She prefers agave nectar to honey because she is a vegan. 26Veganism is more of a lifestyle and not just what people eat. Vegans are against killing animals. They do not use any animal products for health and environmental reasons. They are also against cruelty to animals. 27Davey Havok, the singer of the band AFI, has been a vegan for 24 years. 28Just like "vegetarian," "vegan" can be an adjective, too. It describes something that was not made from animal products and that did not involve harming an animal in any way. 29Many bags are now made with vegan leather. 30Cosmetic brands are becoming vegan and cruelty-free. 31Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Noura! 32What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com 33And that's Ask a Teacher. 34I'm Faith Pirlo. 35Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 36______________________________________________________________ 37Words in This Story 38guinea pig - n. a small furry animal, or rodent, that is often kept as a pet 39tortilla chip - n. a thin, hard piece of food (called a chip) that is made from corn and usually salted 40grill - v. to cook food on a metal frame over a fire 41flexible - adj. willing to change or to try different things 42cosmetic - n. a substance that is put on the face or body to improve appearance 43nectar -n. a sweet liquid produced by plants 44cruelty - n. actions that cause suffering 45leather - n. animal skin used to make shoes, clothing and other things 46_____________________________________________________________ 47Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 48Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.