French word

malade

Pronunciation

IPA/malad/

Meaning

  • adjectivesick

Example

Je suis malade depuis hier.

I have been sick since yesterday.

Illustration for malade (sick)

More examples

Après le voyage en bateau, il s'est senti malade.

After the boat trip, he felt sick.

Core concept

A person whose body is in a bad state, resting because illness or discomfort prevents normal activity.

Common phrases

  • se sentir malade

    feel sick

  • avoir l'air malade

    look sick

Similar words

fatigué: Feeling worn out and needing to rest.
enrhumé: Showing cold symptoms, including a blocked nose, sneezing, or coughing.
fiévreux: Having a raised body temperature and feeling feverish.

Definition in French

Qui a une maladie ou qui ne se sent pas bien.

Word origin

Malade comes through Old French from Latin male habitus, meaning 'in a bad condition', with male meaning 'badly' and habitus meaning 'condition'.

Usage tips

  • French uses être malade for being ill, while avoir mal à names pain in a particular body part.

Opposites

  • sainhealthyadjective

Related words

Word lists with this word