me siento mal
/me sjento mal/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I feel sick" is translated into Spanish as me siento mal.
Me siento mal is used to express that one does not feel well or is experiencing a general sense of illness.
Which one should you use?
While me siento mal is a general way to say you feel unwell or nauseous, me siento enfermo/a specifically implies you are suffering from a disease or illness.
Did you know?
- If a Spanish speaker says estoy mal, they might not be sick at all but could be referring to their financial situation or a bad romantic breakup.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you say me siento mal while gesturing toward your stomach, people will assume you have indigestion rather than a fever.
- The word mal in the phrase shares a common root with the English word 'malice', which comes from the same Latin origin meaning 'bad' or 'evil'.
Examples in context
- Me siento mal.I feel sick.This sentence shows the basic way to say "I feel sick."Tatoeba #1118809 by marcelostockle, translation #759379 by vgigregg
- Me siento mal cuando veo sangre.I feel sick whenever I see blood.This sentence is useful for explaining that you feel sick specifically when seeing blood.Tatoeba #10369487 by DJ_Saidez, translation #238762 by CK
- Comí demasiado ayer y ahora me siento mal.Yesterday I ate too much and now I feel sick.This sentence shows how to explain that feeling sick is a result of eating too much.Tatoeba #1018028 by Narda, translation #1023554 by Narda
- Hola doctor, me siento enfermo/a. ¿Podría ayudarme?Hello doctor, I feel sick. Could you help me?
- Mamá, me siento malito/a. ¿Me cuidas?Mom, I feel a little sick. Can you take care of me?
- Disculpe, no me encuentro bien. ¿Podría permitirme ausentarme hoy?Excuse me, I don't feel well. Could I be allowed to take the day off today?
- Amigo, me encuentro fatal. No puedo ir al partido.Dude, I feel terrible. I can't go to the game.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are at home during a rainy afternoon.
- ElenaMateo, me siento mal.Mateo, I feel sick.
- Mateo¿Estás muy enferma, Elena?Are you very sick, Elena?
- ElenaSí, creo que necesito dormir.Yes, I think I need to sleep.
- MateoVoy a traerte un té.I am going to bring you some tea.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mal, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
