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"Sick" is an adjective which is often translated as "enfermo", and "ill" is an adjective which is also often translated as "enfermo". Learn more about the difference between "sick" and "ill" below.
sick(
sihk
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (ill)
2. (nauseated)
a. mareado
I feel a bit sick. I think I need to sit down for a bit.Me siento algo mareado. Creo que debería sentarme un rato.
4. (gruesome)
a. morboso
Uncle Armando has a sick fascination with traffic accidents.El tío Armando tiene una fascinación morbosa con los accidentes de tránsito.
6. (colloquial) (cool) (United States)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United States
a. genial
My brother bought a sick bike this weekend.Mi hermano se compró una moto genial este fin de semana.
b. chévere (colloquial) (Latin America)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
Look, that car is super sick.Mira, ese carro está súper chévere.
c. padrísimo (colloquial) (Mexico)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in Mexico
My uncle lives in a sick house in Polanco.Mi tío vive en una casa padrísimo en Polanco.
d. bacán (colloquial) (South America)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela
That's a sick watch, dude.Está bacán tu reloj, amigo.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
7. (colloquial) (vomit) (United Kingdom)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Regionalism used in the United Kingdom
b. el devuelto (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
What is that you're eating? It looks like a plate of sick.¿Qué estás comiendo? Parece un plato de devuelto.
A plural noun indicates that there is more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
8. (ill people)
a. los enfermos (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
This religious order helps the sick.Esta orden religiosa ayuda a los enfermos.
ill(
ihl
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (sick)
b. malo (colloquial)
He's ill and won't be going to school today.Está malo y no irá a la escuela hoy.
An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
3. (poorly)
a. mal
It is a lack of respect to speak ill of the dead.Es una falta de respeto hablar mal de los difuntos.
4. (scarcely)
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
I can ill afford to eat in a restaurant while I'm unemployed.No me puedo dar el lujo de comer en un restaurante mientras estoy sin empleo.
You can ill afford to make another mistake now that you're on probation.Mal puedes permitirte cometer otro error ahora que estás en libertad condicional.
A noun is a word referring to a person, animal, place, thing, feeling, or idea (e.g., man, dog, house).
5. (problem)
a. el mal (M)
(m) means that a noun is masculine. Spanish nouns have a gender, which is either feminine (like la mujer or la luna) or masculine (like el hombre or el sol).
Don't allow the ills of the world to diminish the good you have in your hearts.No permitan que los males del mundo disminuyan el bien que tienen en sus corazones.
