{"id":384,"date":"2026-10-09T10:50:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T10:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/?p=384"},"modified":"2026-10-31T09:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T09:10:11","slug":"im-sick-in-german","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/im-sick-in-german\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Say I&#8217;m Sick in German: Ich bin krank, Mir geht es nicht gut and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is how to say I&#8217;m sick in German: <em>Ich bin krank.<\/em> If you just feel unwell, say <em>Mir geht es nicht gut<\/em> (I&#8217;m not feeling well) or <em>Ich f\u00fchle mich nicht wohl<\/em>. For a cold, say <em>Ich bin erk\u00e4ltet<\/em>. To someone who is ill, say <em>Gute Besserung!<\/em> (Get well soon).<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Watch out: <em>Mir ist kalt<\/em> means &#8220;I&#8217;m cold&#8221;, not &#8220;I have a cold&#8221;. This post is about everyday German: telling a friend, a flatmate or your course teacher how you feel. If you need to tell your employer, <a href=\"\/blog\/calling-in-sick-germany-krankmeldung\/\">calling in sick in Germany<\/a> covers the Krankmeldung, and the conversation with the doctor is in <a href=\"\/blog\/german-at-the-doctor\/\">German at the doctor<\/a>. This is language help, not medical advice. In an emergency in Germany, call 112.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 10 core phrases<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>German<\/th><th>English<\/th><th>Note<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><em>Ich bin krank.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m sick \/ I&#8217;m ill.<\/td><td>the basic sentence<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Mir geht es nicht gut.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m not feeling well.<\/td><td>softer, very common<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Mir geht&#8217;s schlecht.<\/em><\/td><td>I feel bad \/ awful.<\/td><td>casual, stronger<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich f\u00fchle mich nicht wohl.<\/em><\/td><td>I don&#8217;t feel well.<\/td><td>polite, a bit vague<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich bin erk\u00e4ltet.<\/em><\/td><td>I have a cold.<\/td><td>the most natural way<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich habe eine Erk\u00e4ltung.<\/em><\/td><td>I have a cold.<\/td><td>also correct<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich habe Fieber.<\/em><\/td><td>I have a fever.<\/td><td>no article<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Mir ist schlecht.<\/em> \/ <em>Mir ist \u00fcbel.<\/em><\/td><td>I feel sick (nauseous).<\/td><td>stomach, not illness in general<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Mir ist schwindelig.<\/em><\/td><td>I feel dizzy.<\/td><td>also spelled <em>schwindlig<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich bin krankgeschrieben.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m on sick leave (signed off by a doctor).<\/td><td>official sick note<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learning how to say I&#8217;m sick in German starts with these ten; everything else is a variation. If you only remember one sentence, make it <em>Mir geht es nicht gut.<\/em> It works with friends, colleagues and strangers, and it does not require you to explain anything.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mir ist vs ich bin: the trap every learner falls into<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">German describes many feelings with <em>mir ist<\/em> (literally &#8220;to me it is&#8221;) instead of &#8220;I am&#8221;. <em>Mir<\/em> is the dative form of <em>ich<\/em>, and it is required here.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Correct<\/th><th>Meaning<\/th><th>Wrong (or different meaning)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><em>Mir ist kalt.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m cold.<\/td><td><em>Ich bin kalt.<\/em> = my body is cold to the touch, or: I&#8217;m a cold, unfriendly person<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Mir ist warm.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m warm \/ hot.<\/td><td><em>Ich bin warm.<\/em> is not how you say you feel warm<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Mir ist schlecht.<\/em><\/td><td>I feel sick.<\/td><td><em>Ich bin schlecht.<\/em> = I&#8217;m bad (at something)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Mir ist \u00fcbel.<\/em><\/td><td>I feel nauseous.<\/td><td><em>Ich bin \u00fcbel.<\/em> is not used<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Mir ist schwindelig.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m dizzy.<\/td><td><em>Ich bin schwindelig.<\/em> is heard, but <em>mir ist<\/em> is standard<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Mir geht es gut \/ nicht gut.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m fine \/ not well.<\/td><td><em>Ich bin gut.<\/em> = I&#8217;m good (at it)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same pattern appears with <em>wehtun<\/em> (to hurt): the body part is the subject, and the person is in the dative.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Mir tut der Kopf weh.<\/em> (My head hurts.)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Mir tut der Hals weh.<\/em> (My throat hurts.)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Mir tun die F\u00fc\u00dfe weh.<\/em> (My feet hurt.) The verb is plural, <em>tun<\/em>, because <em>die F\u00fc\u00dfe<\/em> is plural.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More verbs that take the dative are in <a href=\"\/blog\/german-dative-verbs\/\">German dative verbs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8220;Cold&#8221; in German: kalt, Erk\u00e4ltung and Grippe<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">English uses one word, &#8220;cold&#8221;, for the temperature and the illness. German has two.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>kalt<\/strong> = cold (temperature): <em>Mir ist kalt. Das Wasser ist kalt.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li><strong>die Erk\u00e4ltung<\/strong> = a cold (illness): <em>Ich habe eine Erk\u00e4ltung.<\/em> The verb is <em>sich erk\u00e4lten<\/em>: <em>Ich habe mich erk\u00e4ltet.<\/em> (I caught a cold.) The adjective: <em>Ich bin erk\u00e4ltet.<\/em> (I have a cold.)<\/li>\n\n<li><strong>die Grippe<\/strong> = the flu (influenza): <em>Ich habe Grippe<\/em> or <em>Ich habe die Grippe.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li><strong>der grippale Infekt<\/strong> = a cold-like viral infection. Despite the name, this is not the flu. You may hear it from doctors or read it in medical paperwork.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many people say <em>Ich habe Grippe<\/em> when they mean a bad cold, but strictly speaking <em>Grippe<\/em> is influenza. If you are not sure, <em>Ich bin erk\u00e4ltet<\/em> is the safer description.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Symptoms: what hurts and how you feel<\/h2>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8220;Ich habe &#8230;&#8221; + symptom<\/h3>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With most symptoms you use <em>haben<\/em>, usually without an article:<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>German<\/th><th>English<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><em>Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.<\/em><\/td><td>I have a headache.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich habe Halsschmerzen.<\/em><\/td><td>I have a sore throat.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich habe Bauchschmerzen.<\/em><\/td><td>I have a stomach ache.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich habe Ohrenschmerzen.<\/em><\/td><td>I have an earache.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich habe R\u00fcckenschmerzen.<\/em><\/td><td>I have back pain.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich habe Husten.<\/em><\/td><td>I have a cough.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich habe Schnupfen.<\/em><\/td><td>I have a runny nose.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Meine Nase ist zu.<\/em><\/td><td>My nose is blocked.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich habe (leichtes \/ hohes) Fieber.<\/em><\/td><td>I have a (slight \/ high) temperature.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich habe keinen Appetit.<\/em><\/td><td>I have no appetite.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note that <em>Schmerzen<\/em> is plural: <em>Kopfschmerzen<\/em>, <em>Halsschmerzen<\/em>. The singular <em>der Schmerz<\/em> is used for one particular pain, for example <em>ein stechender Schmerz<\/em> (a stabbing pain).<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Saying how long<\/h3>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Ich bin seit gestern krank.<\/em> (I&#8217;ve been ill since yesterday.)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Ich habe seit drei Tagen Fieber.<\/em> (I&#8217;ve had a fever for three days.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">German uses the present tense with <em>seit<\/em> here, not the perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In hospital: im Krankenhaus<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>German<\/th><th>English<\/th><th>Note<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><em>Ich liege im Krankenhaus.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m in hospital (as a patient).<\/td><td><em>liegen<\/em> makes it clear you are a patient<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich bin im Krankenhaus.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m at the hospital.<\/td><td>could also mean visiting or working<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich komme ins Krankenhaus.<\/em><\/td><td>I&#8217;m going into hospital.<\/td><td>movement: <em>ins<\/em> (= <em>in das<\/em>) + accusative<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich wurde gestern operiert.<\/em><\/td><td>I had an operation yesterday.<\/td><td>passive<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The difference between <em>im Krankenhaus<\/em> (where you are, dative) and <em>ins Krankenhaus<\/em> (where you go, accusative) is the classic two-way preposition rule. In everyday speech Germans also say <em>in der Klinik<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ich bin krankgeschrieben: what it means<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Krankgeschrieben sein<\/em> means a doctor has confirmed in writing that you cannot work. It is not the same as just <em>krank sein<\/em>: you can be a little ill and still go to work, but if you are <em>krankgeschrieben<\/em>, you are officially off sick.<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Ich bin bis Freitag krankgeschrieben.<\/em> (I&#8217;m on sick leave until Friday.)<\/li>\n\n<li><em>Die \u00c4rztin hat mich f\u00fcr eine Woche krankgeschrieben.<\/em> (The doctor signed me off for a week.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How the sick note works with your employer, and what you must tell them, is in <a href=\"\/blog\/calling-in-sick-germany-krankmeldung\/\">calling in sick in Germany<\/a>. If you need a doctor quickly, for example at the weekend, see <a href=\"\/blog\/urgent-doctor-germany\/\">urgent doctor in Germany<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to say to someone who is sick<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>German<\/th><th>English<\/th><th>Register<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><em>Gute Besserung!<\/em><\/td><td>Get well soon!<\/td><td>everyone, always correct<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Werd schnell wieder gesund!<\/em><\/td><td>Get better soon!<\/td><td><em>du<\/em>, friends and family<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Werden Sie schnell wieder gesund!<\/em><\/td><td>Get better soon!<\/td><td><em>Sie<\/em>, formal<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Ich w\u00fcnsche dir \/ Ihnen gute Besserung.<\/em><\/td><td>I wish you a speedy recovery.<\/td><td>full sentence, also in writing<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Kurier dich gut aus!<\/em><\/td><td>Take time to recover properly!<\/td><td><em>du<\/em>, caring<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Oh nein, du Arme! \/ du Armer!<\/em><\/td><td>Oh no, you poor thing!<\/td><td>to a woman \/ to a man<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Brauchst du etwas?<\/em><\/td><td>Do you need anything?<\/td><td>friends, flatmates<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Soll ich dir etwas aus der Apotheke mitbringen?<\/em><\/td><td>Shall I bring you something from the pharmacy?<\/td><td>friends, neighbours<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reply to <em>Gute Besserung<\/em> is simply <em>Danke!<\/em> or <em>Danke sch\u00f6n!<\/em>. Do not answer <em>Gleichfalls<\/em> (same to you) unless the other person is ill too. More on wishes like this, from <em>Gesundheit<\/em> to <em>Prost<\/em>, is in <a href=\"\/blog\/gesundheit-prost-german-toasts\/\">Gesundheit, Prost and German toasts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Model dialogues<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>On the phone with a friend<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Lena:<\/strong> <em>Hey, kommst du heute Abend zum Essen?<\/em> (Hey, are you coming to dinner tonight?)<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>You:<\/strong> <em>Leider nicht. Mir geht es gar nicht gut. Ich habe Fieber und Halsschmerzen.<\/em> (Unfortunately not. I&#8217;m not feeling well at all. I have a fever and a sore throat.)<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Lena:<\/strong> <em>Oh nein, du Arme! Seit wann denn?<\/em> (Oh no, you poor thing! Since when?)<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>You:<\/strong> <em>Seit gestern. Ich glaube, ich habe mich erk\u00e4ltet.<\/em> (Since yesterday. I think I caught a cold.)<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Lena:<\/strong> <em>Dann bleib im Bett und trink viel Tee. Gute Besserung!<\/em> (Then stay in bed and drink lots of tea. Get well soon!)<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>You:<\/strong> <em>Danke dir!<\/em> (Thanks!)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reading these phrases is easy; saying <em>Mir ist schwindelig<\/em> instead of <em>Ich bin schwindelig<\/em> when someone asks you a question is harder. SipLingo lets you practise everyday conversations like these by voice with an AI partner and corrects grammar and word order instantly, explained in your own language. <a href=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/download?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=im-sick-in-german&amp;utm_content=inline\">Practise everyday German out loud<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"siplingo-store-badges\" style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:center;align-items:center;gap:12px;margin:24px 0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/app\/id6783970183\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/app_store.png\" alt=\"Download SipLingo on the App Store\" style=\"height:52px;width:auto;\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=ch.zgdevelopment.siplingo&amp;referrer=utm_source%3Dblog%26utm_medium%3Dpost%26utm_campaign%3Dim-sick-in-german%26utm_content%3Dbadge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/play_store.png\" alt=\"Get SipLingo on Google Play\" style=\"height:52px;width:auto;\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ready-to-copy messages<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>To a friend (WhatsApp, <em>du<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Hey Anna, ich kann heute leider nicht kommen. Ich bin total erk\u00e4ltet und liege im Bett. K\u00f6nnen wir uns n\u00e4chste Woche treffen? Liebe Gr\u00fc\u00dfe<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(Hey Anna, unfortunately I can&#8217;t come today. I have a bad cold and I&#8217;m in bed. Can we meet next week? Love)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>To your German course teacher (<em>Sie<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Liebe Frau Becker,<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>leider kann ich heute nicht am Kurs teilnehmen, weil ich krank bin. Ich habe Fieber und Halsschmerzen. K\u00f6nnten Sie mir bitte die Hausaufgaben schicken?<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Vielen Dank und freundliche Gr\u00fc\u00dfe<\/em><br\/><em>Maria Santos<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(Dear Ms Becker, unfortunately I can&#8217;t attend the course today because I&#8217;m ill. I have a fever and a sore throat. Could you please send me the homework? Many thanks and kind regards, Maria Santos)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Liebe Frau Becker<\/em> is common in language courses where you know the teacher. For an official or someone you don&#8217;t know, start with <em>Sehr geehrte Frau Becker<\/em>. The structure of a formal email is in <a href=\"\/blog\/formal-email-in-german\/\">formal email in German<\/a>. Note that after the greeting comma, the first word of the next line is written in lower case: <em>leider<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common mistakes<\/h2>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Ich bin kalt<\/em> for &#8220;I&#8217;m cold&#8221;. Say <em>Mir ist kalt.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li><em>Ich habe eine K\u00e4lte<\/em> for &#8220;I have a cold&#8221;. Say <em>Ich bin erk\u00e4ltet<\/em> or <em>Ich habe eine Erk\u00e4ltung.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li><em>Ich bin schlecht<\/em> for &#8220;I feel sick&#8221;. Say <em>Mir ist schlecht.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li><em>Ich bin im Krankenhaus gegangen.<\/em> Movement needs the accusative: <em>Ich bin ins Krankenhaus gegangen.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li><em>Mir tut die F\u00fc\u00dfe weh.<\/em> The verb agrees with the body part: <em>Mir tun die F\u00fc\u00dfe weh.<\/em><\/li>\n\n<li>Answering <em>Gute Besserung<\/em> with <em>Gleichfalls<\/em>. Just say <em>Danke!<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exercise: mir or ich?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fill in <em>mir<\/em> or <em>ich<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>___ ist kalt.<\/li>\n\n<li>___ habe Kopfschmerzen.<\/li>\n\n<li>___ ist schwindelig.<\/li>\n\n<li>___ bin seit Montag erk\u00e4ltet.<\/li>\n\n<li>___ tut der R\u00fccken weh.<\/li>\n\n<li>___ geht es heute besser.<\/li>\n\n<li>___ liege im Krankenhaus.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Answers:<\/strong> 1. Mir 2. Ich 3. Mir 4. Ich 5. Mir 6. Mir 7. Ich<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rule of thumb: with <em>haben<\/em>, <em>sein<\/em> + <em>krank \/ erk\u00e4ltet<\/em> and <em>liegen<\/em>, use <em>ich<\/em>. With <em>ist kalt \/ warm \/ schlecht \/ \u00fcbel \/ schwindelig<\/em>, <em>geht es<\/em> and <em>tut weh<\/em>, use <em>mir<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phrases and meanings checked in October 2026 against the Duden dictionary. This post is general language help, not medical advice; for a medical emergency in Germany, call 112.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Related guides:<\/strong> <a href=\"\/blog\/german-at-the-pharmacy\/\">German phrases at the pharmacy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Official sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the official details and the latest updates, see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/gesund.bund.de\/en\/die-elektronische-arbeitsunfaehigkeitsbescheinigung-eau\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gesund.bund.de (BMG): Electronic sick note (eAU) explained<\/a> \u2013 How the eAU works and your duty to notify your employer right away<\/li>\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/gesund.bund.de\/en\/hausaerztliche-versorgung\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gesund.bund.de (BMG): The role of the family doctor (Hausarzt)<\/a> \u2013 What GPs do, referrals and the family-doctor programme<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How do you say &#8220;sick&#8221; in German?<\/strong><br\/>\nThe adjective is <em>krank<\/em>: <em>Ich bin krank<\/em> (I&#8217;m sick). The noun for illness is <em>die Krankheit<\/em>, and &#8220;feeling sick&#8221; in the sense of nausea is <em>Mir ist schlecht<\/em> or <em>Mir ist \u00fcbel<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How do you say &#8220;I&#8217;m not feeling well&#8221; in German?<\/strong><br\/>\nSay <em>Mir geht es nicht gut<\/em> or, a little more formally, <em>Ich f\u00fchle mich nicht wohl.<\/em> Casually you can say <em>Mir geht&#8217;s nicht so gut.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How do you say &#8220;I have a cold&#8221; in German?<\/strong><br\/>\nThe most natural way is <em>Ich bin erk\u00e4ltet.<\/em> <em>Ich habe eine Erk\u00e4ltung<\/em> is also correct. Do not say <em>Ich bin kalt<\/em>, which describes your personality.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How do you say &#8220;I am in hospital&#8221; in German?<\/strong><br\/>\nAs a patient, say <em>Ich liege im Krankenhaus.<\/em> <em>Ich bin im Krankenhaus<\/em> also works, but it could mean you are only visiting or working there.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What do you say to someone who is sick in German?<\/strong><br\/>\nSay <em>Gute Besserung!<\/em> (Get well soon). With friends you can add <em>Werd schnell wieder gesund!<\/em>, and the sick person answers <em>Danke!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Know what to say before you need it.<\/strong> SipLingo lets you practise real German conversations by voice and corrects you instantly, in your own language.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/download?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=im-sick-in-german&amp;utm_content=footer\">Start free \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Say &#8220;Ich bin krank&#8221; (I&#8217;m sick) or &#8220;Mir geht es nicht gut&#8221; (I&#8217;m not feeling well). Plus Ich bin erk\u00e4ltet, Mir ist schlecht and Gute Besserung.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1081,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learning-german"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Say I&#039;m Sick in German: 10 Phrases + Messages<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ich bin krank, Mir geht es nicht gut, Ich bin 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