I'm sick
A very common and slightly more general way to say 'I feel bad' or 'I feel unwell'.
Literally 'I don't feel well'. It's interchangeable with 'Me siento mal'.
A slightly more formal way to say 'I'm unwell' or 'indisposed'. Good for work or formal settings.
I'm not going to school today. I'm sick.
Hi, boss. I'm calling to say that I don't feel well and can't come to work.
My daughter has a fever. She is sick in her bed.
I ate something on the street and now I feel sick.
'Estoy enfermo/a' and 'Me siento mal' are universally understood and used across the entire Spanish-speaking world.
It's very common to hear 'Estoy malo/a' to mean 'I'm sick'. For example, 'No puedo ir, estoy malo del estómago' (I can't go, I'm sick to my stomach).
Similar to Mexico, 'Estoy malo/a' is frequently used. Informally, you might also hear 'Estoy pachucho/a' to mean feeling under the weather.
You might hear 'Estoy maluquito/a', which is a diminutive, almost affectionate way of saying you feel a bit sick.
While 'Estoy enfermo/a' is standard, people might also say 'Ando mal' (literally 'I'm walking bad') to express that they are feeling unwell.
Using 'ser': Never say 'Soy enfermo'. 'Ser' is for permanent characteristics, implying you are a sickly person by nature. 'Estar' is for temporary states like being sick. Correct: 'Estoy enfermo/a'.
Gender agreement: The adjective 'enfermo' must match your gender. A man says 'Estoy enfermo'. A woman says 'Estoy enferma'.
Confusing 'Estoy mal' and 'Me siento mal': While 'Me siento mal' clearly means 'I feel sick', 'Estoy mal' can be ambiguous. It can also mean 'I am wrong' or 'I am in a bad situation'. It's better to be specific with 'Estoy enfermo/a' or 'Me siento mal'.
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