Spanish word

enfermar

Pronunciation

IPA/enfeɾˈmaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbget sick

Example

Me enfermé ayer.

I got sick yesterday.

Illustration for enfermar (get sick)

More examples

Mi padre enfermó de gripe la semana pasada.

My father got the flu last week.

Core concept

Person beginning to feel unwell.

Common phrases

  • enfermarse

    get sick

  • enfermar de gripe

    get the flu

  • enfermar por el frío

    get sick from the cold

Similar words

ponerse: Suddenly start feeling ill, marking a quick change in health.
enfermarse: Become unwell or fall ill.
pillar: Catch an illness from others, especially a cold.
caer: Suddenly become very unwell, with a rapid decline in health.

Definition in Spanish

Empezar a estar enfermo o a experimentar malestar físico; también referirse a provocar enfermedad en otra persona u organismo.

Word origin

From Latin infirmare 'weaken', its initial in- becomes en- in Spanish, and the verb means both 'begin to be ill' and 'cause illness'.

Usage tips

  • Spanish uses enfermarse for 'get sick', enfermar a alguien to mean 'make someone sick', and enfermar de + illness name to specify the disease.

Other meanings

  • sickenverb

Opposites

  • sanarrecoververb
  • curarcureverb

Related words

Word lists with this word