Feeling under the weather? Or did you just see something totally awesome? The English word 'sick' can mean both!

Interestingly, French has a similar duality. Whether you need to tell someone you're not feeling well or you want to exclaim that something is 'sick!' in the slang sense, there's a French word for that.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say 'sick' in French, covering everything from illness to modern slang.

The standard 'sick' or 'ill' – malade

The most common and standard way to say 'sick' or 'ill' in French is with the word malade.

Malade is an adjective, so it's used to describe a noun (a person, an animal, etc.). It typically follows the verb être (to be), as in Je suis malade (I am sick).

Unlike many French adjectives, malade is the same for both masculine and feminine singular forms. It only changes for the plural by adding an '-s'.

un garçon malade (a sick boy)
une fille malade (a sick girl)
des enfants malades (sick children)

To say you are 'getting sick' or 'falling ill', the French use the expression tomber malade, which literally translates to 'to fall sick'. For example, J'ai peur de tomber malade avant mes vacances (I'm afraid of getting sick before my vacation).

Here's an important nuance: in informal French, malade can also mean 'crazy', 'insane', or 'mad'. This is a very common figurative use.

You must rely on context to know if someone means 'ill' or 'crazy'. If someone says, Il a de la fièvre, il est malade, it clearly means he's physically ill. But if they exclaim, Tu veux dépenser tout ton argent ? Mais tu es malade !, it means 'You want to spend all your money? But you're crazy!'

In modern slang, especially among younger people, you might hear 'C'est malade !' as an exclamation. Depending on the tone, it can mean 'That's insane!', 'That's wicked!', or 'That's awesome!'

💡 * Je ne peux pas venir travailler aujourd'hui, je suis malade.

Les enfants sont tombés malades après la fête.

Tu es complètement malade de sauter de ce pont !

Ce concert était malade ! C'était incroyable.

Ne mange pas ça, tu vas être malade.

The more formal 'unwell' or 'suffering' – souffrant/souffrante

When you need to express that someone is unwell in a more formal, respectful, or serious context, French offers the adjective souffrant (masculine) or souffrante (feminine).

Derived directly from the verb souffrir (to suffer), this term literally means 'suffering'. It implies a more significant or prolonged state of illness than the more common word malade (sick) and is used to convey a sense of gravity and politeness.

You are unlikely to hear souffrant(e) used casually among friends. Its use is typically reserved for formal situations, such as a secretary explaining a manager's absence, a written notice, or when discussing someone's health with deference.

The key difference between souffrant(e) and malade is tone. While 'Je suis malade' can mean anything from having a cold to a more serious illness, 'Je suis souffrant(e)' elevates the statement, suggesting a condition that requires empathy and is not to be taken lightly. It's a way to be discreet and formal about poor health.

Remember that as an adjective, it must agree in gender with the person it describes. Use souffrant for a man (e.g., Le directeur est souffrant) and souffrante for a woman (e.g., La professeure est souffrante).

💡 * Le président, souffrant, a dû annuler sa visite officielle.

Je vous prie d'excuser mon absence, j'étais souffrante la semaine dernière.

Ma grand-mère est un peu souffrante en ce moment, elle se repose beaucoup.

Il a appelé pour dire qu'il était souffrant et ne viendrait pas au bureau aujourd'hui.

The 'under the weather' – pas dans son assiette

A classic French idiom, pas dans son assiette literally translates to 'not in one's plate.' However, its actual meaning has nothing to do with dinnerware. It's the most common way to say you're feeling 'under the weather' or 'out of sorts.'

The confusion comes from the word assiette. While it means 'plate' today, in older French, it also referred to a person's state, mood, or disposition (from the verb asseoir, to sit or to place). So, the expression really means 'not in one's usual state' or 'not well-seated.'

You use pas dans son assiette to describe a general feeling of being unwell, whether it's physical (like a headache or slight nausea) or mental (feeling down, tired, or just not yourself). It's generally not used for specific, serious illnesses.

The expression uses the verb être (to be) and the possessive adjective must agree with the subject. For example:

Je ne suis pas dans mon assiette. (I am not feeling well.)
Tu n'es pas dans ton assiette. (You are not feeling well.)
Il/Elle n'est pas dans son assiette. (He/She is not feeling well.)

💡 * Excusez-moi, je ne suis pas dans mon assiette aujourd'hui, je pense que je vais rentrer chez moi.

Paul a l'air triste. Il n'est pas dans son assiette depuis quelques jours.

Tu n'as pas beaucoup parlé ce soir. Tu n'es pas dans ton assiette ?

Elle a attrapé un petit rhume, alors elle n'est pas dans son assiette.

The 'feeling off' or 'out of sorts' – patraque

The 'feeling off' or 'out of sorts' – patraque

Patraque is a colloquial adjective used when you feel unwell, under the weather, or simply 'off.' It describes a general malaise rather than a specific, serious illness, similar to feeling 'out of sorts' in English.

As an adjective, patraque is typically used with the verb être (to be) and must agree with the subject. For example, you would say je suis patraque. It's invariable, meaning it doesn't change for masculine, feminine, or plural forms.

Using patraque is less formal and less severe than saying je suis malade (I am sick). It's the perfect word for when you're not feeling your best but aren't gravely ill. Interestingly, it can also be used to describe a machine that isn't working correctly.

💡 * Je ne vais pas au bureau aujourd'hui, je me sens un peu patraque. (I'm not going to the office today, I feel a bit under the weather.)

Elle avait l'air toute patraque après la longue réunion. (She looked all out of sorts after the long meeting.)

Mon ordinateur est patraque depuis la mise à jour. (My computer has been acting up since the update.)

Ne mange pas ça, tu vas être patraque toute la journée. (Don't eat that, you'll feel off all day.)

The 'in a bad way' – mal en point

The phrase for being 'in a bad way' – mal en point.

Mal en point is a common French idiom used to describe a person or object that is in a poor state, bad condition, or unwell. It's the direct equivalent of saying someone or something is 'in rough shape' or 'doing poorly.'

This expression is highly versatile. It can describe a person's physical health (being sick or injured), their emotional state (being down or distressed), or the condition of an inanimate object (a car that won't start, a dilapidated building).

A key grammatical point is that mal en point is an invariable phrase. This means it never changes to agree in gender or number with the subject. Whether you're talking about one man, one woman, or a group of people, the phrase remains mal en point.

In summary, use mal en point anytime you want to express that something or someone is in a bad or weakened condition. It's a natural and frequently used expression in everyday French.

💡 * Tu as l'air mal en point, tu es malade ? (You look like you're in a bad way, are you sick?)

Après la tempête, la maison était mal en point. (After the storm, the house was in rough shape.)

L'équipe était mal en point à la fin du match. (The team was in a bad way at the end of the game.)

J'ai trouvé un oiseau mal en point dans le jardin. (I found a bird in poor condition in the garden.)

1. The Slang for 'Having a Bad Cold': Avoir la crève

When you're suffering from more than just a simple sniffle in France, you don't just have un rhume (a cold). You say you as la crève.

The expression avoir la crève is the go-to slang for having a really bad cold or a flu-like illness. The word crève comes from the verb crever, which colloquially means 'to die' or 'to burst.' This paints a vivid picture of how miserable you feel—it's much stronger than just saying you have a regular cold.

Using this phrase is straightforward. You simply conjugate the verb avoir (to have) with the subject, followed by la crève. For example: J'ai la crève (I have a bad cold), elle a la crève (she has a bad cold), or nous avons la crève (we have a bad cold).

Avoir la crève is very common in everyday, informal French. You'll hear it used among friends, family, and in casual work environments. In a more formal or professional setting, you might prefer to say J'ai un gros rhume (I have a big cold) or Je suis très enrhumé(e) (I am very congested).

💡 * Je ne sors pas ce week-end, j'ai la crève.

Mon pauvre fils a attrapé la crève à l'école.

Excusez ma voix, j'ai une de ces crèves !

Mets un pull ou tu vas finir avec la crève.

The 'feverish' – fiévreux/fiévreuse

The French adjective for 'feverish' is fiévreux for masculine subjects and fiévreuse for feminine subjects. It directly translates to having a fever or being in a state of fever.

Like most French adjectives, fiévreux/fiévreuse must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, you would say l'enfant fiévreux (the feverish child, masculine) and la patiente fiévreuse (the feverish patient, feminine).

Beyond its literal medical meaning, this adjective can also be used figuratively to describe a state of intense excitement, agitation, or frantic activity, much like the English word 'feverish'. For instance, you could talk about une activité fiévreuse (a feverish activity).

💡 * Le petit garçon est fiévreux, il doit rester au lit. (The little boy is feverish, he must stay in bed.)

Je me sens un peu fiévreuse, je pense que je vais prendre ma température. (I feel a little feverish, I think I'll take my temperature.)

Il y régnait une ambiance fiévreuse avant le début du concert. (There was a feverish atmosphere before the start of the concert.)

Elle termina son rapport dans une hâte fiévreuse. (She finished her report in a feverish hurry.)

The 'nauseous' – nauséeux/nauséeuse

To express the feeling of being "nauseous" in French, you use the adjective nauséeux (masculine) or nauséeuse (feminine).

This term directly translates to "nauseous" or "nauseating." It describes the unpleasant sensation in the stomach that often precedes vomiting. It is derived from the noun la nausée, which means "nausea."

It is crucial to match the adjective with the gender of the subject. Use nauséeux for masculine subjects (e.g., il est nauséeux) and nauséeuse for feminine subjects (e.g., elle est nauséeuse).

This adjective is most often paired with the verbs être (to be) or se sentir (to feel). For instance, you would say, "Je me sens nauséeux" to mean "I feel nauseous."

💡 * Je me sens un peu nauséeux ce matin. (I feel a little nauseous this morning.)

Après le tour de manège, elle était toute nauséeuse. (After the ride, she was very nauseous.)

Une odeur nauséeuse émanait de la cuisine. (A nauseating smell was coming from the kitchen.)

Les premiers mois de sa grossesse, elle se sentait souvent nauséeuse. (During the first months of her pregnancy, she often felt nauseous.)

The 'bedridden' – être cloué(e) au lit

The primary French expression for being 'bedridden' is être cloué(e) au lit. The literal translation is 'to be nailed to the bed.' This vivid imagery perfectly captures the feeling of being stuck or confined to bed due to a serious illness or injury, unable to get up.

This phrase is constructed using the verb être (to be) followed by the past participle cloué and the prepositional phrase au lit. Remember that the verb être must be conjugated to match the subject and tense. Crucially, the participle cloué must agree in gender and number with the subject:

cloué for a masculine subject (e.g., il est cloué)
clouée for a feminine subject (e.g., elle est clouée)
cloués for a masculine plural subject (e.g., ils sont cloués)
clouées for a feminine plural subject (e.g., elles sont clouées)

You use être cloué(e) au lit not for a minor cold, but for more significant situations. It implies a condition that physically prevents someone from leaving their bed, such as a severe flu, a broken bone, or recovery from surgery. It emphasizes the involuntary and often frustrating nature of being bedridden.

💡 * À cause de sa forte fièvre, il est cloué au lit depuis deux jours. (Because of his high fever, he has been bedridden for two days.)

Après l'opération, elle a été clouée au lit pendant une semaine. (After the surgery, she was bedridden for a week.)

J'ai attrapé une mauvaise grippe et je suis complètement cloué au lit. (I caught a bad flu and am completely bedridden.)

Les médecins lui ont dit qu'il serait cloué au lit pour au moins un mois. (The doctors told him he would be bedridden for at least a month.)

Are there other ways to say 'sick' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'sick' in French, covering both meanings of being ill and being 'cool'. However, French is rich with other terms, from specific medical vocabulary and regional expressions to modern slang you might hear in movies or music.

You can discover more terms by doing an online search for phrases like "comment dire malade en québécois" or "argot pour malade" to find regional and informal expressions.

Because 'sick' has multiple meanings, context is critical. Before you use a new French term, always check its definition and see it used in a sentence. Is it for a minor ailment, a serious illness, or is it slang for 'amazing'?

Pay close attention as you watch, read, and listen to French content. You'll naturally pick up on how native speakers describe feeling unwell in different situations, which is the best way to learn.

For a deeper dive into different words for illnesses or more synonyms for malade, the Larousse dictionary or the WordReference page for malade are fantastic starting points.

I hope this article has been helpful for you. Let's end with a classic French proverb that reminds us of what's truly important: La santé passe avant tout. (Health comes before everything else.)

'9 ways to say "sick" in French'