7 Cold & Flu-Related Phrases and How to Explain Them

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A lot of your students these past couple years have probably mentioned that they feel unwell. Maybe they had a cold, the flu, or the disease-that-shall-not-be-named.

This is a good time to teach them some common sickness-related expressions. Here are seven to get you started. As always, we've included explanations as well as example sentences.

1. Come Down With

You can introduce students to the phrase "come down with." This is a common way to say that you're starting to have symptoms for an illness.

I've been sneezing all day. I might be coming down with something.
I'm afraid I've come down with a bad cold, so I'll need to take the day off.

Students sometimes ask why the phrase is "come down with." It might help to explain that coming down with an illness is like being "overcome" by it.

2. Run-Down

Another expression that uses the word "down" is "run-down." This means "tired or exhausted, usually from poor health."

My fever has gone away, but I still feel run-down.
You look a little run-down. Maybe you should take the day off.

3. Nasty

Students probably know "nasty" in the sense of "not nice." They'll find it interesting that the word can also be used to describe colds.

I had a nasty cold last month. It felt awful.
I'm not sure if I have the flu or just a nasty cold.

Just point out that "nasty" here means more than "not nice." It's the same "nasty" that we use to describe things that cause a lot of damage – like a "nasty" storm that brings floods and power outages or a "nasty" injury that's difficult to recover from.

4. The Sniffles

"The sniffles" is a cute way to refer to a mild cold that causes someone to sniffle a lot.

I've got the sniffles.
My dog's got a bad case of the sniffles.

If your student needs an explanation of "sniffling," you can show them by breathing air in through your nose repeatedly.

Do you need a tissue? You keep sniffling.
I can't tell if I have allergies or a cold, but I've been sniffling for the past week.

5. The Chills

Like "sniffles," "chills" is a plural noun that refers to a symptom that occurs repeatedly over a short period of time. In the case of "chills," your body feels very cold and shakes repeatedly.

I kept getting the chills and couldn't sleep last night.
I'm having a fever and the chills. I should stay in bed today.

6. The Flu

Learners often wonder if it's “the flu” or just "flu." Across most English-speaking countries, "the flu" is standard.

My coworker is out with the flu, so I’ll need to cover for him.
It usually takes a week for people to recover from the flu.

However in the UK, "flu" is also acceptable. You can check UK dictionaries (e.g. Cambridge, Collins, and Macmillan) for example sentences that use "flu" without "the."

7. Have vs. Catch

A lot of students are confused about when to use "catch" and "have." You can explain that an illness is like a ball. After you catch a ball, you have it in your hands. In the same way, after you catch an illness, you have it in your body.

Tom caught a cold last week. [= Tom caught a cold. We don't know if he still has it.]
Tom had a cold last week. [= Tom no longer has a cold this week.]

Here are some examples where "catch" works but "have" doesn't.

Try not to catch a cold. [Try not to have a cold.]
My daughter caught a cold from her classmates. [~~My daughter had a cold from her classmates.~~]

👋 That’s It For Now

We hope this list gives you an idea of words you can introduce to your students. Students who are interested in learning more health-related phrases can check out our Health & Lifestyle materials.

During your lesson, you might also want to bring up some interesting facts to spark discussion. Here are some options from Daily News:

Happy Tutoring!