Influenza (Flu) in Spanish

What it means

Influenza, the illness MedlinePlus calls the flu, is a respiratory infection caused by viruses. Flu viruses spread from person to person: when someone with the flu coughs, sneezes, or talks, they spray tiny droplets that can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Symptoms come on suddenly and may include fever or feeling feverish with chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue. Sometimes the flu causes mild illness, but it can also be serious or even deadly, especially for people over 65, newborn babies, and people with certain chronic illnesses. MedlinePlus notes that "stomach flu" isn't the flu; it's gastroenteritis. It says the best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine every year.

Spanish term: Influenza (Gripe)
Gender and article: feminine: la influenza, la gripe
Pronunciation: een-floo-EHN-sah (GREE-peh)

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
gripe	General	The title of the MedlinePlus en español page and the word the RAE dictionary defines as the illness.
influenza	General	MedlinePlus en español says la gripe is also called influenza; the RAE dictionary defines influenza by reference to gripe.

No cited page prints the headword in the combined form Influenza (Gripe); the two words appear separately. MedlinePlus en español titles its page Gripe and opens with la gripe, también llamada influenza. The Real Academia Española dictionary defines gripe as a feminine noun for an acute epidemic illness accompanied by fever, and its entry for influenza, also feminine, is defined simply as gripe. Both words therefore take la.

The same dictionary has an entry for gripa, marked for Colombia and Mexico and likewise defined as gripe. MedlinePlus en español writes both virus de la influenza and virus de la gripe for the virus, and it uses resfrío for a cold when it says people sometimes have trouble knowing which of the two they have. It also notes that gripe estomacal ("stomach flu") is not flu but gastroenteritis. Symptom words on that page include fiebre, escalofríos, tos and dolor de garganta.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I woke up yesterday with a fever, chills, and body aches.	Ayer me desperté con fiebre, escalofríos y dolores en el cuerpo.
Clinician	Did the symptoms come on suddenly or little by little?	¿Los síntomas empezaron de repente o poco a poco?
Patient	Is this the flu or just a cold?	¿Esto es gripe o solo un resfrío?
Clinician	I am going to swab the inside of your nose to test for the flu virus.	Le voy a pasar un hisopo por el interior de la nariz para detectar el virus de la gripe.
Patient	My chart says influenza. Is that the same as the flu?	Mi expediente dice influenza. ¿Es lo mismo que la gripe?
Clinician	Do you have asthma, diabetes, or heart disease?	¿Tiene asma, diabetes o alguna enfermedad del corazón?
Patient	Did I get my flu vaccine this season? Can you check my record?	¿Me pusieron la vacuna contra la gripe esta temporada? ¿Puede revisar mi expediente?
Patient	My son has also had vomiting and diarrhea. Can that happen with the flu?	Mi hijo también ha tenido vómitos y diarrea. ¿Eso puede pasar con la gripe?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Influenza (Flu)
Spanish (Español)	Influenza (Gripe)
Chinese (中文)	流行性感冒
Korean (한국어)	독감
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Cúm
Filipino (Tagalog)	Trangkaso
Portuguese (Português)	Influenza (Gripe)
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ไข้หวัดใหญ่
Japanese (日本語)	インフルエンザ

Where you'll see it

chartmedical recordprescription

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: J11 → Influenza due to unidentified influenza virus

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Lungs and breathing

All terms in this area: Lungs and breathing — Pulmones y respiración

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.