A cartoon illustration of a figure shivering dramatically while wrapped tightly in a thick blue blanket. The figure has a red nose and looks clearly unwell.

gripe

GREE-peh

nounfA1

flu?influenza illness,influenza?medical term

Also:head cold?sometimes used loosely for a severe cold

📝 In Action

Tengo gripe y no puedo ir a trabajar hoy.

I have the flu and I can't go to work today.

¿Ya te pusiste la vacuna contra la gripe?

Did you already get the flu shot?

La gripe de este año fue muy fuerte y me dejó en cama.

This year's flu was very strong and left me in bed.

Word Connections

Synonyms

influenza (influenza)
resfriado (cold (common illness))

Common Collocations

tener la gripe – to have the flu
la temporada de gripe – flu season
contagiarse de gripe – to catch the flu

💡 Grammar Points

Gender Rule

Even though many nouns ending in '-e' are masculine, 'gripe' is always feminine. You must use the article 'la': 'La gripe es contagiosa' (The flu is contagious).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Gender Error

Mistake: "El gripe"

Correction: La gripe. Remember to always use the feminine article 'la' or the feminine adjective 'una' before it.

⭐ Usage Tips

Using 'Tener'

To say you are sick with the flu, use the verb 'tener' (to have) followed directly by the noun: 'Tengo gripe.' You don't usually use 'estar' (to be) for the illness itself, only for the symptoms ('Estoy enfermo').

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: gripe

Question 1 of 2

Which Spanish phrase correctly expresses 'I have the flu'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

engriparse(to catch the flu) - verb

gripal(flu-related) - adjective

gripa(flu (informal variant)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre 'gripe' y 'resfriado'?

'Gripe' (flu) is the term for influenza, which is typically a much more severe illness, often involving high fever and extreme body aches. 'Resfriado' (cold) refers to a milder common cold with symptoms mostly limited to the nose and throat.

Why does 'gripe' not follow the normal pattern for nouns ending in -e?

Many Spanish words borrowed from other languages or those shortened over time don't follow the typical gender rules. 'Gripe' inherited its feminine gender from its French origin, *la grippe*.