我感冒了
wǒ gǎnmào le
In Chinese, "I have a cold" is expressed as 我感冒了 (wǒ gǎnmào le).
Meaning: I have a cold (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 感冒 (gǎnmào) literally means "to catch a cold" or "cold".
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 了 (le) at the end of 我感冒了 is an aspect particle indicating a change of state. This implies that you were not sick before, but now you are.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ gǎnmào le
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying 我感冒 without the particle 了 (le) at the end, as it sounds incomplete when describing your current state of being sick.
Did you know?
- In many Chinese-speaking households, instead of suggesting medicine for a cold, a common response to 我感冒了 is to suggest drinking hot water, 喝热水 (hē rè shuǐ).
- In Chinese culture, the concept of 'catching a cold' is often linked to 风 (fēng), meaning 'wind'. Some traditional terms for colds specifically describe the 'wind' entering the body.
- In Chinese, the word for 'cold' in 感冒 (gǎnmào) does not refer to the temperature of the air, but rather to the 'feeling' of being 'moved' or 'affected' by an external force.
Examples in context
- 我感冒了。I have a cold.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase 我感冒了.Tatoeba #488753 by GlossaMatik, translation #321954 by CK
- 我感冒了，不想去上班。Wǒ gǎnmào le, bù xiǎng qù shàngbān.I have a cold, so I don't want to go to work.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are talking in the office.
- 佳怡 Jiayi志强，你看起来脸色不太好。Zhìqiáng, nǐ kàn qǐlái liǎnsè bù tài hǎo.Zhiqiang, you look like you're not feeling well.
- 志强 Zhiqiang是的，我感冒了。Shì de, wǒ gǎnmào le.Yes, I have a cold.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那你要多喝热水。Nà nǐ yào duō hē rè shuǐ.Then you should drink more hot water.
- 志强 Zhiqiang谢谢你，佳怡。Xièxiè nǐ, Jiāyí.Thank you, Jiayi.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I have a cold” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
