How Do We Talk About Getting Sick?

When you start to feel unwell, there are specific English phrases and words you can use to describe your condition.

• To come down with something means to start to suffer from an illness, usually one that is not very serious. It suggests the beginning of an illness.
• An infection is a disease in a part of your body that is caused by bacteria or a virus. You can get an infection.
• An ache is a continuous, dull pain in a part of your body. It can be a verb or a noun. Common examples include headache, stomach ache, or back ache.

What About Injuries and Accidents?

Accidents happen, and it’s important to know how to describe the injuries you might get.

• To strain a muscle or part of your body means to injure it by using it too much or by twisting it. Strain can also be a noun, referring to the injury itself.
• A bruise is a dark mark that appears on your skin after you have fallen or been hit. You can also use bruise as a verb, meaning to cause a bruise.
• A scar is a permanent mark left on the skin after an injury or operation has healed. Like bruise, scar can also be used as a verb, meaning to mark with a scar.

How Do We Describe Symptoms?

Symptoms are the signs that tell you something is wrong with your body. Here are some common ones:

• To faint ou pass out means to suddenly lose consciousness for a short time, usually because of a lack of blood to the brain. These two verbs are often interchangeable.
• If you feel dizzy, you feel as if everything is turning around and that you are going to fall. It’s an adjective describing a sensation.
• If someone looks pale, their face or skin has less color than usual. This often happens when they are ill, tired, or frightened.

Exemples

• I think I’m starting to come down with a cold; my throat feels scratchy.
• The doctor said I had a bacterial infection and prescribed antibiotics.
• After lifting heavy boxes, I had a terrible ache in my lower back.
• She strained a ligament in her knee while playing tennis.
• He got a big bruise on his arm after bumping into the door.
• The cut was deep, and now he has a small scar on his forehead.
• The heat made me feel dizzy, and I almost fainted.
• When the bad news came, her face went very pale.

Entraînement

Erreurs courantes chez les hispanophones

• Using ‘I am dizzying’ instead of ‘I am dizzy’: In Spanish, you might say ‘Estoy mareado/a’. In English, dizzy is an adjective, so you say I am dizzy. You do not use ‘dizzy’ as a verb in this context.
• Saying ‘I have an ache in my head’ instead of ‘I have a headache’: While grammatically correct, it’s more natural to use the compound noun headache, stomach ache, etc.
• Confusing ‘strain’ with ‘twist’: While both involve injury, strain often refers to overstretching or tearing a muscle or tendon, like straining a hamstring. Twist is more general and often refers to a joint, like twisting an ankle, which could result in a sprain (a ligament injury).
• Using ‘make a bruise’ instead of ‘get a bruise’: We usually say I got a bruise ou I have a bruise, not ‘I made a bruise’.

Questions fréquemment posées

What is the difference between faint et pass out?

Both faint et pass out mean to lose consciousness for a short period. They are often interchangeable. Pass out can sometimes sound slightly more informal, but both are commonly used.

Can strain be a noun and a verb?

Yes, strain can be both. As a verb, it means to injure a muscle (e.g., I strained my back). As a noun, it refers to the injury itself (e.g., He suffered a muscle strain).

What is the difference between ache et pain?

Ache typically refers to a continuous, dull, and often widespread pain (e.g., a dull ache). Pain is a more general term for physical suffering, which can be sharp, sudden, severe, or dull. All aches are a type of pain, but not all pains are aches.

How can I remember all this new vocabulary?

To remember new vocabulary, try using flashcards, writing your own example sentences, discussing health topics with a partner, or listening to English podcasts about health. Active practice is key to making these words part of your active vocabulary.