Bedeutung
Becoming sick with a cold.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The 'Colpo d'aria' (hit of air) is a culturally specific fear. Italians believe that even a small draft can cause a cold, leading to the ubiquitous use of scarves (sciarpe) even in mild weather. The 'Maglia della salute' is an undershirt, usually cotton or wool, that Italian mothers insist children wear to prevent catching a cold. It's a symbol of maternal care. In Italy, taking a 'sick day' for a 'raffreddore' is generally accepted, but people often feel the need to explain exactly 'how' they caught it (e.g., 'the AC was too high'). The 'Cambio di stagione' (change of season) is considered the most dangerous time for health. Italians are very cautious about how they dress during these weeks to avoid 'prendere il raffreddore'.
Use 'beccarsi' with friends
If you want to sound more like a native speaker in casual settings, use 'Mi sono beccato il raffreddore'.
Don't forget the article
Always say 'IL raffreddore'. Omitting the article sounds very unnatural in Italian.
Bedeutung
Becoming sick with a cold.
Use 'beccarsi' with friends
If you want to sound more like a native speaker in casual settings, use 'Mi sono beccato il raffreddore'.
Don't forget the article
Always say 'IL raffreddore'. Omitting the article sounds very unnatural in Italian.
The AC Warning
If you are in Italy during summer, you will hear people complain about 'prendere il raffreddore' because of the AC. It's a very common social script.
Past Participle
Memorize 'preso'. You will use it 90% of the time with this phrase.
Teste dich selbst
Conjugate the verb 'prendere' in the Passato Prossimo.
Ieri io ________ (prendere) il raffreddore.
'Prendere' uses 'avere' and has an irregular past participle 'preso'.
Choose the most natural phrase to warn someone.
Copriti bene, altrimenti...
This is the standard warning for catching a cold.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Perché non vieni al cinema? B: Scusa, ma ________ il raffreddore e non mi sento bene.
You 'take' (catch) a cold to explain why you are sick.
Match the symptom to the phrase.
Starnutisco e ho il naso chiuso.
Sneezing and a stuffed nose are classic symptoms of a cold.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenIeri io ________ (prendere) il raffreddore.
'Prendere' uses 'avere' and has an irregular past participle 'preso'.
Copriti bene, altrimenti...
This is the standard warning for catching a cold.
A: Perché non vieni al cinema? B: Scusa, ma ________ il raffreddore e non mi sento bene.
You 'take' (catch) a cold to explain why you are sick.
Starnutisco e ho il naso chiuso.
Sneezing and a stuffed nose are classic symptoms of a cold.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
Yes, using 'un' is fine, especially if you add an adjective like 'un brutto raffreddore'.
'Raffreddore' is a common cold (sneezing). 'Influenza' is the flu (fever, aches).
Culturally, yes. While they know about viruses, the 'colpo d'aria' is still blamed for the onset.
You can say 'Mi sta venendo il raffreddore'.
'Prendersi' is more common in spoken Italian as it adds emphasis, but both are correct.
Usually, we say 'prendere la tosse', but 'prendere il raffreddore' often implies the whole set of symptoms.
It's an idiom for a very strong, persistent cold.
'Beccarsi il raffreddore' is the most common informal/slangy version.
Use 'avere' for 'ho preso' and 'essere' for the reflexive 'mi sono preso'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Avere il raffreddore
similarTo have a cold
Beccarsi un raffreddore
synonymTo catch a cold (informal)
Prendere freddo
builds onTo get chilled
Passare il raffreddore
contrastTo give someone a cold / To get over a cold
Raffreddore da cavallo
specialized formA very bad cold
