Unit 13 · HealthA2Lesson 3 of 5: Feeling ill
Feeling ill in European Portuguese
This is lesson 3 of 5 in Unit 13, Health (Saúde), an A2 unit in which you say what hurts, describe your symptoms and get help at the pharmacy, the health centre and the hospital. The new words are estar constipado (to have a cold), sentir-se (to feel), doente (ill) and 4 more, practised in 10 example sentences. By the end you can say things like Como é que tu te sentes hoje? (“How do you feel today?”). The unit’s grammar notes cover “The hand, not my hand” and “Sinto-me bem: how do you feel?”.
Words in this lesson
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
estar constipadoalso estar constipada | to have a coldIt does not mean "constipated"! Estou constipada. = I have a cold. |
sentir-se | to feelEu sinto-me bem. = I feel fine. Como te sentes? = How do you feel? |
doente | illThe same for men and women: Estou doente. |
a febre | feverEu tenho febre. = I have a temperature. No article. |
a tosse | coughEu tenho tosse. = I have a cough. |
a gripe | flu |
cansadoalso cansada | tired |
Example sentences
- Eu estou constipada.I have a cold.Constipado means "having a cold". Women say constipada.
- Eu sinto-me mal.I feel unwell.The pronoun goes after the verb, even after eu: Eu sinto-me mal.
- Tu tens febre?Do you have a temperature?No article: ter febre, ter tosse.
- O Diogo está com gripe.Diogo has the flu.Estar com + illness: estar com gripe, estar com febre.
- Como é que tu te sentes hoje?How do you feel today?After como and que, the pronoun goes before the verb: Como te sentes?
- Eu tenho tosse e febre.I have a cough and a temperature.
- A Marta está doente e não vai trabalhar.Marta is ill and isn't going to work.
- Eu já me sinto melhor, obrigado.I feel better now, thank you.After já, the pronoun moves before the verb: já me sinto. Melhor = better.
- A minha filha tem tosse há três dias.My daughter has had a cough for three days.Há + time with the present tense = for (and still going): há três dias.
- Tu pareces cansado.You look tired.Parecer = to look, to seem.
Grammar notes
The grammar notes for this lesson are on the page for Unit 13: Health: