gastro
In French, gastro is an informal way to say stomach flu.
gastro is a common, informal shortening used in everyday conversation to refer to gastroenteritis. It is often used in the phrase avoir la gastro to mean having the stomach flu.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is a clipped form of the full medical term gastro-entérite.
Which one should you use?
While gastro is the everyday informal version, the full term gastro-entérite is used in formal contexts to describe the inflammation of the stomach and intestines.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
gastro is an informal term. For a formal medical context, use La gastro-entérite. Note that while gastro is common, you should avoid the vulgar expression avoir la chiasse when describing diarrhea.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, the informal expression avoir la tourista is specifically used to refer to traveler's diarrhea.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the shortened term, it is typically preceded by the feminine definite article la, as in la gastro.
Did you know?
- If you tell a French person you 'avez la gastro', they will likely immediately ask if you have also been vomiting, as the term implies a specific violent set of symptoms.
- The word gastro is an example of an apocope, a linguistic process where a word is shortened by dropping the end to create a new, more casual term.
- In a French pharmacy, asking for help for 'la gastro' is a common way to signal you need specific treatments for both nausea and diarrhea without using vulgar language.
Examples in context
- Je suis malade, je pense que j'ai attrapé la gastro-entérite.I'm sick, I think I've caught gastroenteritis
- J'ai attrapé une gastro.I caught a stomach flu.
- Il ne peut pas venir, il a la gastro.He can't come, he has the stomach flu.
- La gastro circule beaucoup en ce moment.The stomach flu is going around a lot lately.
Example conversation
Hugo is calling Chloé to cancel their plans.
- HugoSalut Chloé, je ne peux pas sortir ce soir.Hi Chloé, I can't go out tonight.
- ChloéAh bon ? Qu'est-ce qui se passe ?Oh really? What's happening?
- HugoJe suis malade, je pense que c'est la gastro.I'm sick, I think it's the stomach flu.
- ChloéMince, repose-toi bien alors !Darn, get some good rest then!
