Word choice

Question

Is both 'a' and 'the' correct in these:I have a/the cold.I have a/the flu.

Blue Jay · Accepted Answer

No, you can only use:
I have a cold.
I have the flu.

Khoff · Answer

Generally we say "I have a cold" but "I have the flu." (You might say "I have the cold" to be funny, if, for instance, everyone else in your household or workplace seems to be sharing the same cold. But to someone who was not aware of this, you would say "a cold.")

Anonymous · Answer

Blue Jay No, you can only use:I have a cold.I have the flu.

Thanks. But why is that?

Blue Jay · Answer

I don't know. It's just the way it's said.
Many common illnesses can be phrased as the____
He has the flu/measles/mumps/chicken pox etc. The can usually be omitted.
Others generally do not take an article:
He has cancer, heart disease, leprosy, pneumonia
Aches take a/an:
He has a headache/backache/stomachache. She has an earache.
Infections also take a/an:
He has a chest/skin/upper respiratory infection. She has an eye infection.
Conditions and problems take a/an:
He has a heart problem/condition.
A cold is odd, because you would expect it to be He has cold, or He has the cold, but it isn't.
Flu is short for influenza, although you rarely hear it called that. Oddly, we say He has the flu, but He has influenza.

Ivanhr · Answer

In BrE, it is apparently possible to say (according to this source https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-reference/articles-2)

I've got earache.
I've got 'flu.

Anonymous · Answer

Blue JayI don't know. It's just the way it's said.Many common illnesses can be phrased as the____He has the flu/measles/mumps/chicken pox etc. The can usually be omitted.Others generally do not take an article:He has cancer, heart disease, leprosy, pneumoniaAches take a/an: He has a headache/backache/stomachache. She has an earache.Infections also take a/an:He has a chest/skin/upper respiratory infection. She has an eye infection.Conditions and problems take a/an:He has a heart problem/condition.A cold is odd, because you would expect it to be He has cold, or He has the cold, but it isn't.Flu is short for influenza, although you rarely hear it called that. Oddly, we say He has the flu, but He has influenza.

Thanks. That was very helpful.

So you said that 'the' can be omitted here, right:
He has flu/measles/mumps/chicken pox etc. The can usually be omitted.

What about 'he has cold'. Is it possible also without 'the'?

Fivejedjon · Answer

AnonymousWhat about 'he has cold'.

No.

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