ho il raffreddore
To say "I have a cold" in Italian, use ho il raffreddore.
Use ho il raffreddore to state that you are suffering from a common cold. If you are actually suffering from the flu, you should instead use ho l'influenza.
Meaning: I have a cold (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ho il raffreddore literally translates to "I have the cold" because Italian uses the definite article il instead of the indefinite article "un" when referring to this condition.
Which one should you use?
While ho il raffreddore is used for a common cold, ho l'influenza is used specifically to indicate that you have the flu.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase ho il raffreddore, the subject pronoun io (I) is often omitted because the verb conjugation ho already indicates the first-person singular.
Did you know?
- If you are shivering from the cold rather than sick, you would say ho freddo, omitting the article il used in ho il raffreddore.
- In Italy, if you say ho l'influenza, people will assume you have a high fever and are bedridden, rather than just a 'bad cold'.
- The word raffreddore is built from the verb raffreddare, which means 'to make cool'.
Examples in context
- Io ho il raffreddore.I have a cold.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase ho il raffreddore.Tatoeba #2214820 by Guybrush88, translation #321954 by CK
- Oggi non vengo perché ho il raffreddore.I am not coming today because I have a cold.
- Mi dispiace, ma ho il raffreddore.I am sorry, but I have a cold.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo calls Giulia to explain why he cannot go to the party.
- MatteoCiao Giulia, non posso venire stasera.Hi Giulia, I cannot come tonight.
- GiuliaPerché, Matteo? Stai male?Why, Matteo? Are you feeling unwell?
- MatteoSì, purtroppo ho il raffreddore.Yes, unfortunately I have a cold.
- GiuliaMi dispiace, riposati molto!I am sorry, get lots of rest!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I have a cold” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries il, raffreddore, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
