Getting sick
Collocations, Stage 2chunk 3 of 24Body & health
Coming down with something: catching a cold, catching one from someone, a real illness, getting run down and an upset stomach.
- kaze o hikucatch a cold
- kaze ga utsurucatch someone's cold
- byouki ni naruget sick, fall ill
- taichou o kuzusuget run down, fall ill
- onaka o kowasuget an upset stomach
Mix-ups kaze o hiku is getting a cold; kaze ga utsuru is catching it from someone. byouki ni naru sounds like a real illness, so for a rough few days say taichou kuzushita. kuzusu and kowasu both mean break: taichou o kuzusu for your health in general, onaka o kowasu for your stomach. kaze 'cold' sounds like kaze 'wind'.
kaze o hiku
polite kaze o hikimasucatch a cold
風邪を引く かぜをひく 風邪を引きます
verbhiku 引くpull, draw; with a cold it means come down withtypical 66% of kaze
trap Not kaze o toru or tsukamu (catch a ball): you 'pull' a cold, kaze o hiku (kaze hiichatta).
Kaze hiita (or hiichatta) = I've caught a cold; kaze hiiteru = I have a cold right now, not 'I'm catching one'. Usually said without o.
kaze hiichatta mitai.
I think I've caught a cold.
風邪ひいちゃったみたい。
kaze o hiita mitai desu.
I think I've caught a cold.
風邪をひいたみたいです。
Kaze 'cold' sounds exactly like kaze 'wind' (kaze ga fuku = the wind blows), so this phrase is how 'a cold' is learned. Flu doesn't take hiku: infuru ni kakatta, infuru ni natta. Getting over a cold is kaze ga naoru (kaze, mou naotta?).
Learn alongside: kaze ga fuku, kaze ni ataru, kaze ga utsuruMain list: toru (Stage 4), kakaru (Stage 4)
kaze ga utsuru
polite kaze ga utsurimasucatch someone's cold
風邪がうつる かぜがうつる 風邪がうつります
verbutsuru うつるmove, spread (to another place or person)
trap Kaze o hiku is just getting a cold; to say you caught it from someone, the cold moves to you, kaze ga utsuru.
Heard as utsuru yo (you'll catch it) and kaze utsutta or utsutchatta (I caught it off someone). Say who from with kara (kodomo kara utsutta) or no (kodomo no kaze ga utsutta). Just as common: kaze o morau, 'receive' the cold (kodomo kara kaze moratchatta).
kodomo no kaze, utsutchatta.
I caught my kid's cold.
子供の風邪、うつっちゃった。
kodomo no kaze ga utsutta mitai desu.
I think I caught my child's cold.
子供の風邪がうつったみたいです。
Giving your cold to someone else is kaze o utsusu: kaze utsushichatta, gomen (sorry, I gave you my cold).
Same verb: infuru (flu), akubi (a yawn)Learn alongside: kaze ga fuku, kaze ni ataru, kaze o hikuMain list: morau (Stage 2)
byouki ni naru
polite byouki ni narimasuget sick, fall ill
病気になる びょうきになる 病気になります
verbnaru なるbecome, turn intotypical 32% of byouki
trap English 'I got sick' is usually something minor, but byouki ni natta sounds like a real illness: for a cold or a rough few days say kaze hiita, guai ga waruku natta or taichou kuzushita. Byouki desu ('I'm sick') sounds more serious still.
For falling ill with something real (byouki ni natta), or as a warning about overdoing it. The ni always stays.
muri suru to byouki ni naru yo.
You'll make yourself sick if you push too hard.
無理すると病気になるよ。
kyonen, chichi ga byouki ni natte, shibaraku taihen datta n desu.
My father got sick last year, and things were hard for a while.
去年、父が病気になって、しばらく大変だったんです。
Byouki ni kakaru (contract an illness) is more formal; getting better is byouki ga naoru.
Same verb: infuru (flu), netchuushou (heatstroke), kafunshou (hay fever), mushiba (a cavity)Main list: naru (Stage 1), -ku naru / -ni naru (Stage 4)
taichou o kuzusu
polite taichou o kuzushimasuget run down, fall ill
体調を崩す たいちょうをくずす 体調を崩します
verbkuzusu 崩すknock down, break up (a wall, a pose); upset, throw off (balance, health, pace); also break a note into changetypical 13% of taichou
trap Byouki ni naru isn't wrong but sounds like a proper illness; for a passing bug or being run down, people say taichou (o) kuzushita.
The standard way to explain a minor illness, mostly in the past: taichou kuzushichatte (I came down with something). It fills excuses for missing work or school, and the send-off taichou kuzusanai you ni ne (look after yourself). O often drops.
chotto taichou kuzushite, kinou yasunda.
I got a bit run down and took yesterday off.
ちょっと体調崩して、昨日休んだ。
chotto taichou o kuzushite, kinou wa yasumimashita.
I was a bit under the weather, so I took yesterday off.
ちょっと体調を崩して、昨日は休みました。
Taichou ga warui is the state; taichou o kuzusu is falling into it.
Same verb: baransu (balance: lose your balance), choushi (form: choushi o kuzusu = go off form), peesu (pace: lose your rhythm)Learn alongside: onaka o kowasuMain list: -chau (Stage 1)
onaka o kowasu
polite onaka o kowashimasuget an upset stomach
お腹を壊す おなかをこわす お腹を壊します
verbkowasu 壊すbreak, damage (a thing); with the body, harm ittypical 1% of onaka
trap English 'have an upset stomach' gives no usable verb. Japanese 'breaks' the stomach with kowasu, transitive, with the speaker as subject: onaka kowashita.
The discreet everyday way to mention diarrhoea or a bad stomach, mostly past: onaka kowashita. Also a warning: sonna ni tabetara onaka kowasu yo. O often drops.
tsumetai mono nomisugite, onaka kowashita.
I drank too much cold stuff and upset my stomach.
冷たいもの飲みすぎて、お腹壊した。
tsumetai mono o nomisugite, onaka o kowashimashita.
I had too many cold drinks and upset my stomach.
冷たいものを飲みすぎて、お腹を壊しました。
Onaka no choushi ga warui is the vaguer, more discreet version; geri (diarrhoea) is the clinic word.
Same verb: karada (health: karada o kowasu = ruin your health), hara (belly: rough, mostly male)Learn alongside: taichou o kuzusuMain list: -sugiru (Stage 4)