tienes un resfriado
/tjenes un ɾesfɾjado/from spelling rules
To say "you have a cold" in Spanish, use tienes un resfriado.
This phrase is used to tell someone that they are suffering from a common viral infection of the nose and throat.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of tienes (you have), un (a) and resfriado (cold). Because resfriado is a masculine noun, the masculine indefinite article un is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form tienes un resfriado uses tienes, which is the informal singular "you" (tú) conjugation of the verb tener. To say "you have a cold" to someone you address formally, use tiene un resfriado instead of tienes.
Did you know?
- To describe the physical state of having a cold, a speaker might say estoy constipado, which sounds like 'constipated' in English but actually refers to nasal congestion in Spanish.
- If you want to say someone 'caught' a cold, Spanish speakers often use the verb pescar, which literally means 'to fish'. It is common to hear pescó un resfriado.
- While resfriado refers to a common cold, Spanish speakers often use the word gripa or gripe for the flu, though in some Latin American countries gripa can be used interchangeably for any heavy cold.
Examples in context
- Parece que tienes un resfriado.It looks like you have a cold.
- Creo que tienes un resfriado muy fuerte.I think you have a very bad cold.
- No salgas hoy, tienes un resfriado.Don't go out today, you have a cold.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are talking in their living room.
- Alejandro¿Estás estornudando mucho, María?Are you sneezing a lot, María?
- MaríaSí, me siento un poco mal.Yes, I feel a little bad.
- AlejandroSeguro que tienes un resfriado.I'm sure you have a cold.
- MaríaEs probable, necesito descansar.It's likely, I need to rest.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
