For about the past five days I have been sick. It hasn’t been too bad, luckily for me, but I am getting tired of it and I am looking forward to feeling 100% better again as soon as possible.
However, it did occur to me to write a blog post about how to talk about being sick in English.
One of the important things about being fluent in English is to be able to speak powerfully on a number of important, everyday topics, and getting sick is certainly a common everyday event that now and then happens to us all.
Typically, in the U.S., the winter season is known as the flu season and many people get flu shots. But, I have never gotten a flu shot and I don’t usually buy into the fear that people have of being sick. When I do catch a cold or start feeling a bit under the weather, I tend to use herbs, vitamins and rest to get through it.
So what types of things do you need to know in English to be able to discuss this topic. Here are some common questions that people ask and expressions that we use.
Remember, learning entire phrases within a context helps you know how to use English more correctly, so I don’t want to give you a bunch of individual vocabulary words; I want to give you a few full phrases that you can use in real English conversations.
Q: How are you feeling today?
A: Not so great. I’ve been really tired and I’ve been coughing a lot.
Q: Are you feeling any better?
A: Yeah. I think so. I still have a bit of headache, and I have been really tired, but I think I’m getting better. I have more energy today than I had yesterday.
Q: Are you taking anything for your cold?
A: Yes. I’m taking some echinacea, vitamin C and I’ve been drinking a bunch of ginger tea. I’ve also been eating some honey to soothe my throat.
Q: Do you have a fever?
A: No. I haven’t had a fever, but my body hurts and I am exhausted.
Some other common phrases:
I hope you feel better soon.
Take care and feel better soon.
I hope you get better as soon as possible.
Take good care of yourself. I’ll call you tomorrow to check in with you to see how you are doing.
Here’s a funny video about being sick.