Inklingo

How to Say "fever" in Spanish

English → Spanish

fiebre

fee-EH-breh/'fje.βɾe/

nounA1medical
Use 'fiebre' when referring to the diagnosed medical condition of having an elevated body temperature, especially when a thermometer reading is involved or implied.
A child in bed looking flushed and unwell, with a damp cloth on their forehead to cool the high temperature.

Examples

Mi hija tiene mucha fiebre y necesita descansar.

My daughter has a high fever and needs to rest.

El doctor me dio pastillas para bajar la fiebre.

The doctor gave me pills to bring down the fever.

¿Tienes fiebre? Te noto muy caliente.

Do you have a fever? You feel very warm to me.

Gender Check

Even though 'fiebre' ends in '-e', it is always feminine. Use 'la fiebre' or 'mucha fiebre'.

Using the wrong verb

Mistake: “Soy fiebre (I am fever)”

Correction: Tengo fiebre (I have a fever). Spanish uses the verb 'tener' (to have) for symptoms like fever, hunger, and thirst.

temperatura

tem-peh-rah-TOO-rah/tem.pe.ɾaˈtu.ɾa/

nounA2general
Use 'temperatura' when describing the feeling of having a fever or elevated body temperature, often as a subjective sensation rather than a formal diagnosis.
A close-up illustration of an adult hand resting gently on a child's forehead, suggesting the child has a fever.

Examples

Creo que tengo temperatura, me siento muy caliente.

I think I have a fever; I feel very hot.

Le di medicina para bajarle la temperatura.

I gave him medicine to bring down his fever.

Using 'Tener' for Symptoms

Mistake: “Saying 'Él es temperatura' (He is temperature).”

Correction: Use the verb 'tener' (to have) for symptoms: 'Él tiene temperatura.' This means he is suffering from a fever.

Using 'fiebre' vs. 'temperatura'

Learners often use 'fiebre' for any feeling of being hot, but it's best reserved for the actual medical condition. 'Temperatura' is more common for the subjective feeling of being feverish or unusually warm due to illness.

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