風邪をひいた
kaze o hiita
To say "I caught a cold" in Japanese, you use 風邪をひいた (kaze o hiita).
This phrase is used to say that you have become sick with a common cold.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means "pulled/caught a cold", where 風邪 means cold and ひいた is the past tense of hiku (to pull/draw).
How does it change in a sentence?
While 風邪をひいた means you caught a cold (past tense), 風邪をひいています is used to say you are currently suffering from a cold. Note that the kanji for hiku can be written as 引いた or simply in hiragana as ひいた. Both are correct and common.
How do you pronounce it?
kaze o hiita
Did you know?
- The word 風邪 consists of the characters for 'wind' and 'anger'. Historically, it reflected the belief that a cold was caused by the 'anger of the wind'.
- In Japan, you will often see people wearing surgical masks in public specifically to prevent 風邪. This is seen as a social courtesy to protect others, even if the wearer is healthy.
- While English speakers 'catch' a cold, Japanese speakers hiku a cold, which is the same verb used for 'playing' a stringed instrument or 'pulling' a drawer.
Examples in context
- 私は風邪をひいた。I caught a cold.This sentence shows the basic way to say you caught a cold.Tatoeba #152960 by bunbuku, translation #261585 by CK
- 私は先月風邪をひいた。I caught a cold last month.This sentence shows how to specify when you caught a cold.Tatoeba #155489 by wat, translation #259049 by CK
- 私は風邪をひいた。そういうわけで昨日会合に出席できなかった。I caught a cold. That is why I could not attend the meeting yesterday.This sentence uses the phrase to explain a reason for missing a meeting.Tatoeba #152959 by bunbuku, translation #261586 by CK
- 昨日（きのう）寒（さむ）かったので、風邪をひきました。Because it was cold yesterday, I caught a cold.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are talking on the phone about why Kenta couldn't go out.
- 健太 Kenta実は、昨日風邪をひいたんだ。Jitsu wa, kinoo kaze o hiita n da.Actually, I caught a cold yesterday.
- 美咲 Misaki大丈夫？体調は悪いの？Daijoubu? Taichou wa warui no?Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?
- 健太 Kenta少し熱があるみたい。Sukoshi netsu ga aru mitai.It seems I have a bit of a fever.
- 美咲 Misaki無理しないで、ゆっくり休んでね。Muri shinaide, yukkuri yasunde ne.Don't overdo it, please get some rest.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
