la gripe
/la ɡɾipe/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "the flu" is la gripe.
la gripe is the standard way to refer to the illness in general conversation. While you might see the word gripe used without an article in certain medical contexts, using the article is the norm for everyday speech. To express that you have the flu, you can use the verb tener (to have) or you can use verbs like pescar or agarrar to mean you have caught the flu.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun gripe is feminine, which means it must be preceded by the feminine article la.
How do you pronounce it?
/la ɡɾipe/
Did you know?
- If you want to sound more colloquial, you can say you 'caught' the flu by using the verb pescar, which literally means 'to fish'.
- The word gripe is a linguistic traveler. It entered Spanish via French, which had borrowed it from a Germanic root before it ever became a Spanish word.
- While la gripe refers specifically to the influenza virus, Spanish speakers often use it colloquially to describe any severe cold with a fever, regardless of the actual virus.
Examples in context
- La mamá de Tom se agarró la gripe.Tom's mom caught the flu.This sentence shows how to say someone caught la gripe.Tatoeba #1386222 by marcelostockle, translation #680480 by Source_VOA
- La gripe le impidió jugar al golf.The flu prevented him from playing golf.This sentence shows how la gripe can prevent someone from doing an activity.Tatoeba #2902340 by teskmon, translation #325460 by CK
- ¿Te has vacunado ya contra la gripe?Have you already been vaccinated against the flu?This sentence uses la gripe in the context of a vaccination.Tatoeba #8779265 by Shishir, translation #8780032 by carlosalberto
- Tengo gripeI have the flu
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are talking in the office.
- LucíaJavier, ¿por qué no vino María hoy?Javier, why didn't María come today?
- JavierElla tiene la gripe y está en cama.She has the flu and is in bed.
- LucíaQué mal, espero que se recupere pronto.That's too bad, I hope she recovers soon.
- JavierSí, la gripe está pegando fuerte este año.Yes, the flu is hitting hard this year.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gripe, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
