te ves enfermo
/te bes enfeɾmo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "you look sick" is translated as te ves enfermo.
This phrase is used to tell someone that their physical appearance suggests they are unwell.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from te (yourself), ves (you see) and enfermo (sick), literally meaning "you see yourself sick".
Which one should you use?
While te ves enfermo specifically addresses being sick, te ves mal is a common alternative that is slightly less specific and can be used to describe someone looking generally unwell or just "off".
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to a woman, you must change the masculine adjective enfermo to the feminine enferma to say te ves enferma.
Did you know?
- In certain Latin American countries, calling someone enfermo or saying estás enfermo can be a slang way of calling them 'crazy' or 'insane' rather than physically ill.
- While enfermo describes a medical state, you can also use the word enfermo as a noun to mean 'a patient' in a hospital setting.
- While enfermo means 'sick', using it to describe someone's appearance can sometimes be confused with enfermizo, which describes someone who is chronically sickly or pale.
Examples in context
- ¿Parece que no se encuentra bien? ¿Necesita algo de ayuda?It seems that you are not feeling well? Do you need any assistance?
- Oye, te ves mal. ¿Qué te pasa?Hey, you look bad. What's going on?
- Te ves enfermo, ¿deberías ir al médico?You look sick, should you go to the doctor?
- Estás muy pálido, te ves enfermo.You are very pale, you look sick.
Example conversation
Mateo is talking to Lucía at the office.
- MateoLucía, te ves enfermo hoy.Lucía, you look sick today.
- LucíaTienes razón, me duele mucho la cabeza.You're right, my head hurts a lot.
- MateoQuizás deberías irte a casa a descansar.Maybe you should go home to rest.
- LucíaSí, creo que voy a hacer eso.Yes, I think I'll do that.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
