enfermo

sick person, patient

noun en-FEHR-moh Less Common

Usage Note

Enfermo functions as both noun ('sick person', 'patient') and adjective ('ill', 'sick'). As a noun, the feminine is enferma. Use estar enfermo (with estar) for a temporary state of illness — never ser enfermo for this meaning. The related noun enfermedad means 'illness', and enfermero/enfermera means 'nurse'.

Examples

"El médico atendió al enfermo de inmediato."

Natural Translation

The doctor attended to the sick person immediately.

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