enferma
/en-FÉR-ma/
sick
As an adjective, enferma describes a woman who is feeling sick or ill.
📝 In Action
Mi abuela está enferma con la gripe.
A1My grandmother is sick with the flu.
¿Estás enferma? Deberías quedarte en casa.
A2Are you ill? You should stay home.
Llegó a la reunión, aunque estaba visiblemente enferma.
B1She came to the meeting, even though she was visibly unwell.
💡 Grammar Points
Adjective Agreement
Since this is an adjective describing a female person or feminine thing, the word ends in '-a'. If you were talking about a male, you would use 'enfermo'.
Ser vs. Estar
Always use 'estar' (like 'she is') with 'enferma' because sickness is a temporary state or condition. Using 'ser' suggests it's a permanent part of her identity, which sounds unnatural.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the wrong verb
Mistake: "Ella es enferma."
Correction: Ella está enferma. (Using 'estar' is correct because the illness is a temporary situation, not a permanent trait.)
⭐ Usage Tips
A Gentle Way to Ask
Instead of asking '¿Estás enferma?', which is direct, you can politely ask '¿Te sientes bien?' (Are you feeling well?) if you suspect someone is unwell.
As a noun, enferma refers to a female patient receiving medical care.
📝 In Action
La enferma necesita descansar mucho.
A2The patient needs a lot of rest.
Los doctores visitaron a cada enferma en la sala.
B1The doctors visited every sick person in the ward.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'La'
When used as a noun, 'enferma' requires the article 'la' (or 'una') to mean 'the patient' or 'a patient'.
The verb form enferma (3rd person singular) means 'makes ill,' showing an agent causing sickness.
enferma(Verb)
makes ill
?3rd person singular, present tense of 'enfermar'
gets sick
?3rd person singular, present tense of 'enfermarse' (reflexive)
📝 In Action
El estrés crónico enferma a mucha gente.
B1Chronic stress makes a lot of people ill.
Si no come bien, se enferma fácilmente.
B1If she doesn't eat well, she gets sick easily. (Reflexive use: 'se enferma')
💡 Grammar Points
The Root Verb: Enfermar
This form 'enferma' is used when 'he, she, or it' performs the action of making someone else sick. However, it is much more common to use its reflexive form, 'enfermarse,' to mean 'to get sick' (e.g., 'Ella se enferma').
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: enferma
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'enferma' correctly as an adjective?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'enferma' and 'enfermero'?
'Enferma' is an adjective meaning 'sick' (female) or a noun meaning 'the patient' (female). 'Enfermero/a' is the noun for the profession, meaning 'nurse' (male/female).
When do I need to add 'se' before 'enferma'?
If you want to say that someone 'gets sick' or 'falls ill' (which is the most common way to talk about the onset of illness), you need the reflexive pronoun 'se': 'Ella se enferma con el frío' (She gets sick from the cold).