enfermo
/enˈfeɾmo/
The Spanish word for sick is enfermo.
enfermo is used as an adjective to describe someone who is ill. When you want to describe someone's current state of health, you should use the verb estar with enfermo (for example, estar enfermo) rather than the verb ser.
Meaning: ill, used as a substantive: sick people, collectively (adj)
Which one should you use?
While enfermo is an adjective used to describe a person's state, enfermedad is the noun used to refer to the illness itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the word gripa may be used instead of resfriado to refer to a cold.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word must agree in gender and number with the person being described. Use enferma for a female and enfermo for a male. For groups, use enfermos for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and use enfermas specifically for a group consisting only of females.
How do you pronounce it?
/enˈfeɾmo/
Did you know?
- The word enfermo comes from the Latin roots meaning 'not strong'. It is built from the prefix 'in-' meaning 'not' and 'firmus' meaning 'strong'.
- If you are feeling 'under the weather', a common Spanish way to express this is 'sentirse pachucho', which is much more informal than 'estar enfermo'.
- If you want to describe a feeling of nausea or being 'sick to your stomach', you would use 'tener náuseas' or 'sentirse mal' rather than using 'enfermo'.
Examples in context
- Él se ve enfermo.He seems sick.This sentence shows how to use enfermo to describe how someone looks.Tatoeba #1949991 by marcelostockle, translation #1216243 by jared1981
- Tom no está enfermo.Tom isn't sick.This sentence shows the negation of the state of being enfermo.Tatoeba #9706360 by Shishir, translation #2237015 by CK
- Mi niño está enfermo.My child is sick.This sentence shows the use of the word enfermo to describe a child.Tatoeba #10604183 by Shishir, translation #10696154 by tokzyk
- tengo dolor de gargantaI have a sore throat
- Tengo fiebreI have a fever
- tosCough
- 256 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel is calling Lucía to check on her brother.
- Daniel¿Cómo sigue tu hermano?How is your brother doing?
- LucíaSigue muy enfermo todavía.He is still very sick.
- DanielLo siento mucho, Lucía.I am very sorry, Lucía.
- LucíaGracias por preguntar, Daniel.Thanks for asking, Daniel.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry enfermo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries enfermo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
