Your head hurts, your stomach feels weird, and you can’t breathe through your nose. Yuck! Looks like you're sick.      

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You should probably go to the doctor and tell your boss you can’t go in today. But first, you’ll need to know these words and phrases to describe your illness.

When calling in to take the day off, you usually won’t need to give specifics. Instead, you can just tell your boss that you don’t feel good.

But you don’t want to use boring, basic expressions like “I feel sick.”

Instead, use more advanced and natural expressions like:

1. "I'm feeling under the weather." This is a general phrase that means "I'm feeling sick."

2. "I think I'm coming down with something." Use this at the start of your sickness, when you're just starting to feel bad.

3. "I'm sick as a dog." Use this in less formal situations when you want to say that you're really, really sick.

4. "I'm coughing up a lung." Use this in less formal situations if you have a terrible cough.

Make sure you pick the correct one. It depends on how formal you need to be with your boss.

Using the Phrases

Practice saying the right thing to your boss when calling in sick.

Your boss has a very professional communication style. You want to tell her that you're starting to feel sick in a professional, natural way.

What words should you add to the conversation above to create the correct phrase?

• You: Hi boss, I don't think I'll be able to go to work today.

• Your Boss: Why not?

• You: _____, so I need to take a sick day.

• Your Boss: Oh sorry to hear it, feel better soon.

Now it’s time to go to the doctor. Here, you’ll have to be a bit more specific. You need to know the specific words to describe your symptoms.

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Which of the two situations below leads to the doctor better understanding your problem?

Situation A

Doctor, my head hurts and it’s hot. Also, there is stuff coming out of my nose, and I really want to sleep. The worst part is it’s hard to talk because the inside of my neck hurts. Can you help?

Situation B

Doctor, I have a headache and a fever. Also, I have a runny nose and am feeling lethargic. The worst part is it’s hard to talk because I have a sore throat. Can you help?

That’s right, example B is more specific and uses better words. Now read the examples again, what do you think the words in bold mean? Check your answers below:

• Headache: when your head hurts.

• Fever: when your body feels very hot because its temperature is higher than normal.

• Cough: when you need to shoot air from your lungs.

• Stuffy nose: when you can't breathe through your nose.

• Runny nose: When liquid comes out of your nose.

• Lethargy: when you feel very tired and don't have much energy.

• Sore throat: when the inside of your neck (your throat) hurts.

• Nausea: when you feel like you want to vomit.

• Stomach ache: when your stomach hurts.

Your Doctor's Advice

After you clearly explain your symptoms using the words above, your doctor will say something like this to you:

You should take some cough medicine to soothe your sore throat. I can suggest some pills that will reduce your fever and relieve your headache.Bed rest can help with your lethargy,and nasal spray can help clear up your stuffy nose.

Using the Words

Take your doctor's advice and go to the pharmacy to buy medicine. Complete the blanks below using the words above to complete the conversation.

• You: Hello, I need to buy some medicine.

• Pharmacist: How can I help?

• You: I need some pills that can reduce my _____and relieve my _____.

When you’re feeling well enough to start leaving the house again, people will probably start asking you if you’re feeling better.

Try using this expression to sound more natural: “I’m just getting over a [sickness.]” It means “I was sick, and I’m not 100% better, but I’m starting to feel better.”

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But to complete the expression, you need to know the name of your sickness and the symptoms it normally comes with. Here are some common ones, and some phrases you might use to describe "getting over" the sickness.

The flu (a bad virus):

I'm getting over the flu. My headache isn't as bad, and I feel much less nauseous.

A cold (a mild virus):

I'm getting over a cold. My nose isn't as stuffy, and my cough is much better.

Food poisoning (a sickness from eating food that isn't cooked well):

I'm getting over some food poisoning. I'm much less nauseous, and my stomach ache isn't as bad.

Using the Phrases

You go back to work and your coworkers want to know how you're feeling. Use the words above to complete the conversation below:

• Your coworker: Are you feeling better?

• You: Yes I am. I'm just getting over a cold.

• Your coworker: That sounds bad, but do you feel better now?

• You: I'm not completely normal, but my nose _____ and my headache _____.

Now you can describe what it feels like when you're sick.