As Hong Kong’s humid summer arrives, sniffles and coughs are everywhere – among classmates, MTR commuters and even your best friend. Master these six essential phrases to express how you’re truly feeling when illness strikes, whether at school or the clinic.
Under the weather
Meaning: feeling slightly unwell or lacking energy
Example: “Kally skipped dim sum with friends, explaining she felt under the weather after the rainy hike.”
Call in sick
Meaning: notify school or work that you are too ill to attend
Example: “Kally had to call in sick to miss physical education, texting her teacher from her Mong Kok flat.”
Come down with something
Meaning: the onset of symptoms of an illness
Example: “Emily came down with something after cramming for exams in a chilly library.”
8 words and phrases recently added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary
Run a fever
Meaning: have a high body temperature due to illness
Example: “Kit’s mum took her to the clinic after she ran a fever all night.”
Out of sorts
Meaning: feeling unwell or not quite yourself
Example: “After a week of flu, Jay felt out of sorts but still joined the school debate.”
On the mend
Meaning: recovering from an illness
Example: “Danny’s back at yum cha, on the mend after a weekend of soup and rest.”
