我发烧了
wǒ fāshāo le
我发烧了 (wǒ fāshāo le) is the Chinese phrase for "I have fever".
This phrase is used to state that your body temperature is higher than normal. If you are experiencing a mild fever, it is more natural to say 我有点发烧 (I have a slight fever). For comparison, if you want to say you are coughing, you would use the word 咳嗽.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I fevered" or "I have developed a fever".
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 发烧 (fāshāo) is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not require an object like "a fever" to be grammatically complete.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ fāshāo le
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not try to use an article or a measure word with the verb, such as saying "我发一个烧". In Chinese, you simply use the verb 发烧.
Did you know?
- The character 烧 (shāo) in 发烧 is the same character used for 'roasting' or 'burning' food. It evokes the sensation of the body being cooked from the inside.
- When discussing a fever, you may hear the phrase 上火 (shàng huǒ), which literally means 'fire rising'. It refers to a state of internal heat that causes not just fever, but also sore throats and mouth ulcers.
- In many Chinese-speaking cultures, when someone says 我发烧了, a common culturally-specific response is to ask if they have already 'taken medicine' or 'drunk warm water', as these are the first steps in traditional care.
Examples in context
- 我发烧了，感觉很累。Wǒ fāshāo le, gǎnjué hěn lèi.I have a fever, and I feel very tired.
- 昨天我发烧了，所以没去上班。Zuótiān wǒ fāshāo le, suǒyǐ méi qù shàngbān.I had a fever yesterday, so I didn't go to work.
Example conversation
Wei calls Zihan to cancel their plans.
- 伟 Wei梓涵，我发烧了，今天不能见面。Zǐhán, wǒ fāshāo le, jīntiān bù néng jiànmiàn.Zihan, I have a fever and cannot meet today.
- 梓涵 Zihan怎么回事？你现在感觉怎么样？Zěnme huíshì? Nǐ xiànzài gǎnjué zěnmeyàng?What happened? How are you feeling now?
- 伟 Wei我头很疼，想休息。Wǒ tóu hěn téng, xiǎng xiūxi.My head hurts and I want to rest.
- 梓涵 Zihan那你快去休息吧，早点康复。Nà nǐ kuài qù xiūxi ba, zǎodiǎn kāngfù.Then go rest quickly and get well soon.
