Now that you know the body parts, it's time to learn how to say you're not feeling well. This is essential vocabulary for travel and daily life. You'll learn to describe symptoms like fever, tiredness, and dizziness, and use the reflexive verb 'sentirse' to express how you feel.
Learning tips
- 'Sentirse' is a stem-changing reflexive verb (e→ie): me siento, te sientes, se siente.
- Use 'estar + adjective' for temporary conditions: 'estoy enfermo' (I'm sick right now), not 'soy enfermo.'
- The difference between 'fuerte' and 'débil' is useful beyond health — they describe personality too.
- Practice the phrase 'No me siento bien' — it's the most important sentence in this lesson.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| la cabeza | the head |
| el brazo | the arm |
| la pierna | the leg |
| la mano | the hand |
| el pie | the foot |
| el estómago | the stomach |
| la espalda | the back |
| el ojo | the eye |
| la boca | the mouth |
| el oído | the ear |
Dialog
Andrés wakes up feeling sick and tells Valentina about his symptoms. Notice how he uses 'sentirse' (me siento) to describe his general state, and 'estar + adjective' (estoy enfermo, estoy cansado) for specific conditions. Valentina responds with care and concern — this is a very natural Colombian conversation about being sick.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| sentirse | /sen.ˈtiɾ.se/ | to feel (reflexive) | Stem-changing: e→ie (me siento, te sientes) |
| enfermo | /en.ˈfeɾ.mo/ | sick, ill | Use with 'estar': estoy enfermo (temporary state) |
| sano | /ˈsa.no/ | healthy | Use with 'estar' or 'ser': estoy sano / soy una persona sana |
| cansado | /kan.ˈsa.ðo/ | tired | Very common — used with 'estar': estoy cansado/a |
| mareado | /ma.ɾe.ˈa.ðo/ | dizzy | Use with 'estar' or 'sentirse': me siento mareado |
| la fiebre | /ˈfje.βɾe/ | the fever | Use with 'tener': tengo fiebre |
| la gripe | /ˈɡɾi.pe/ | the flu | Very common: tengo la gripe |
| el dolor | /do.ˈloɾ/ | the pain | Use with 'tener': tengo dolor de cabeza (headache) |
| fuerte | /ˈfweɾ.te/ | strong | Also used for pain: un dolor fuerte (a strong/severe pain) |
| débil | /ˈde.βil/ | weak | Opposite of 'fuerte' |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el resfriado | /res.fɾi.ˈa.ðo/ | the cold (illness) | Milder than 'la gripe' |
| la tos | /ˈtos/ | the cough | Also a verb: 'toser' = to cough |
| estornudar | /es.toɾ.nu.ˈðaɾ/ | to sneeze | |
| la alergia | /a.ˈleɾ.xja/ | the allergy | |
| el síntoma | /ˈsin.to.ma/ | the symptom | |
| contagioso | /kon.ta.ˈxjo.so/ | contagious |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| no me siento bien | I don't feel well |
| me siento mal | I feel bad/sick |
Grammar: 'Sentirse' as reflexive verb and 'estar' + condition adjectives
| Pronoun | sentirse | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me siento | Me siento bien. |
| tú | te sientes | ¿Te sientes mal? |
| usted / él / ella | se siente | Se siente enfermo. |
| nosotros | nos sentimos | Nos sentimos cansados. |
| ellos / ellas | se sienten | Se sienten mareados. |
Sentirse is a reflexive, stem-changing verb (e→ie). It means 'to feel' and is used to describe your physical or emotional state.
Conjugation:
- yo me siento — I feel
- tú te sientes — you feel
- usted/él/ella se siente — you (formal)/he/she feels
- nosotros nos sentimos — we feel
- ellos/ellas se sienten — they feel
You can combine it with adverbs: me siento bien/mal/mejor/peor.
Or with adjectives: me siento enfermo/cansado/mareado.
Estar + adjective is used for temporary conditions:
- Estoy enfermo. (I'm sick right now.)
- Estás cansada. (You're tired.)
- Está mareado. (He's dizzy.)
Remember: Use estar (not ser) for health conditions, because they are temporary states.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing word.
- No me bien hoy. (feel)(first person of 'sentirse')
- Estoy y necesito descansar. (sick)(adjective meaning 'sick')
- Tengo un fuerte en la cabeza. (pain)(noun meaning 'pain')
- Creo que tengo la . (flu)(the flu)
- Me siento y . (tired / dizzy)(two adjectives describing how you feel)
Grammar Application
Conjugate 'sentirse' for each subject pronoun with the given adjective.
- yo / sentirse / mal → (me + siento + mal)
- tú / sentirse / enfermo → (te + sientes + enfermo)
- ella / sentirse / cansada → (se + siente + cansada)
- nosotros / sentirse / bien → (nos + sentimos + bien)
- ellos / sentirse / débiles → (se + sienten + débiles)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- I don't feel well.
- I'm sick and tired.
- I have a fever and the flu.
- I feel weak.
- Do you feel dizzy?
Creative Construction
Describe how you or someone else is feeling. Use 'sentirse', 'estar + adjective', and at least 3 health vocabulary words.
Takeaway
Use 'me siento + bien/mal/adjective' to express how you feel, and 'estar + adjective' for temporary health conditions. 'No me siento bien' is the key phrase when you're unwell.