Which one should you use?
In French, maladie is used for both a specific disease and a general state of illness, whereas English often distinguishes between the two. Additionally, do not confuse the noun maladie (illness) with the adjective malade, which is used to describe a person who is sick.
How does it change in a sentence?
maladie is a feminine noun. Consequently, any adjectives used to describe it must also be in the feminine form, such as une grave maladie (a serious illness).
How do you pronounce it?
The word maladie is pronounced /ma.la.di/ and consists of 3 syllables.
When do people say it?
When someone is unwell, a common way to wish them a quick recovery in French is to say prompt rétablissement. Common illnesses you may encounter include avoir un rhume (to have a cold) and avoir la grippe (to have the flu).
Did you know?
- The word maladie comes from the Latin 'malitia', which originally meant 'badness' or 'wickedness' rather than physical sickness.
- There is a French idiom maladie du dimanche which refers to a fake or convenient illness used to avoid obligations.
- If a condition is described as 'affective' in English, it refers to emotions, but in a French medical context, the term affection is used to describe a specific pathological condition or ailment.
Examples in context
- Tom cache sa maladie.Tom hides his illness.This sentence shows how to use maladie to talk about someone hiding their illness.Tatoeba #8453915 by Rovo, translation #8430103 by Ergulis
- Quelle maladie ai-je ?What illness do I have?This sentence shows how to use maladie when asking about an illness.Tatoeba #908467 by sacredceltic, translation #435200 by CK
- Il a soigné ma maladie.He cured my illness.This sentence shows how to use maladie in the context of curing an illness.Tatoeba #350877 by Barbiche0, translation #297977 by CK
- Mon frère est gravement malade.My brother is seriously ill.
- Elle souffre d'une affection cardiaque.She suffers from a heart condition.
- La pathologie du patient nécessite une opération immédiate.The patient's pathology requires immediate surgery.
- Je suis malade aujourd'hui, je ne peux pas sortir.I'm sick today, I can't go out.
- Mon amie a attrapé un rhume à cause du froid.My friend caught a cold because of the cold weather.
- Je me sens un peu patraque aujourd'hui, je crois que j'ai mangé quelque chose de mauvais.I feel a bit off today, I think I ate something bad.
- Mon grand-père est mal en point, il est à l'hôpital.My grandfather is seriously ill, he's in the hospital.
- 91 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are discussing someone's absence from work.
- NathanEst-ce que Marc est encore absent ?Is Marc still absent?
- ChloéOui, il combat une maladie grave.Yes, he is fighting a serious illness.
- NathanC'est triste. Je ne savais pas.That's sad. I didn't know.
- ChloéC'est une maladie très rare.It is a very rare illness.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “illness” translations and entries maladie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maladie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
