Phrases › Describing Symptoms › Ho la febbre alta.

Ho la febbre alta.

I have a high fever.

Pronunciation

FEB-bre AL-ta — double 'b', short. 'Alta' = high (feminine).

When to use it

Tell a doctor, pharmacist, or anyone you need help from. A clear and universal symptom description.

What it means

'Ho la febbre' uses 'avere' + definite article 'la'. 'Alta' means high. In Italy fever is measured in Celsius: 37°C normal, 37.5°C low fever, 38°C+ fever, 39°C+ high fever. 'Ho trentanove di febbre' = I have a fever of 39 degrees.

Variations

Ho trentanove di febbre da ieri.

I have had a fever of thirty-nine since yesterday.

Give temperature and duration for better assessment

La febbre non scende con la tachipirina.

The fever is not going down with paracetamol.

Important — signals need for stronger treatment

Ho la febbre e i brividi.

I have a fever and chills.

Chills often accompany fever — important symptom cluster

Mini Dialogue

— Che sintomi ha? — Ho la febbre alta, circa trentotto e otto, e i brividi. — Da quando? — Da ieri sera. Ho preso la tachipirina ma non basta. — La visito subito.

— What symptoms do you have? — I have a high fever, about thirty-eight point eight, and chills. — Since when? — Since last night. I took paracetamol but it is not enough. — I will examine you right away.

Cultural Note

Italian doctors often ask about 'carattere della febbre' — whether it is continuous ('continua'), intermittent ('intermittente'), or spiking ('a picchi'). The pattern helps diagnosis. 'Tachipirina' is Italy's most trusted brand-name paracetamol.

Ho il naso tappato.

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