estar enfermo

to be sick

→ estar

phrase Very common #1,041

to be sick Used to talk about being ill or unwell, usually as a temporary state. With estar, it describes a condition at the moment rather than a permanent characteristic.

SP: Odio estar enfermo porque me aburre quedarme en cama sin hacer nada.

EN: I hate being sick because it bores me to stay in bed doing nothing.

Nada es menos saludable que estar enfermo.

Nothing is less healthy than being sick.

No tengo tiempo para estar enfermo.

I don't have time to be sick.

Odio estar enfermo porque me aburre quedarme en cama sin hacer nada.

I hate being sick because I get bored staying in bed doing nothing.

Tom parece estar enfermo.

Tom seems to be ill.

Ese estudiante a veces finge estar enfermo.

That student sometimes pretends to be sick.

Él no puede estar enfermo.

He can't be sick.

Nunca pensé que podía estar enfermo.

I never thought I could be sick.

Estar enfermo es perjudicial.

Being sick is harmful.

Nunca se me ocurrió que él podía estar enfermo.

It never occurred to me that he could be sick.

No pude participar en el encuentro por estar enfermo.

I couldn't participate in the meeting because I was sick.

Espero ya no estar enfermo la semana próxima.

I hope I won't be sick next week.

Quiero estar enfermo.

I want to be sick.

— El cartero (y Pablo Neruda) (1994)

Estar enfermo en vacaciones es lo peor que te puede pasar.

Being sick on vacation is the worst thing that can happen to you.

Tom fingió estar enfermo para no tener que ir a la escuela.

Tom pretended to be sick so he wouldn’t have to go to school.

Está claro que él fingía estar enfermo.

It’s clear that he was pretending to be sick.

Últimamente ha sido duro estar enfermo.

Lately, being sick has been hard.

Él no pudo ir a la fiesta por estar enfermo.

He couldn't go to the party because he was sick.