Excusas deportivas y falsos amigos: cancela bien

Falsos amigos y excusas deportivas: elige la frase adecuada para cancelar un partido.
DannisDannis
2 min reading time
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What can you say to cancel a match? Clear, natural phrases (A2).

In Spain, "estoy constipado" = I have a cold. It does NOT mean "I’m constipated" in English – classic false friend. Say: "Hoy no puedo jugar, estoy constipado".

For a specific pain: use "me duele + part of the body". E.g.: "Me duele la rodilla" (literally: "my knee hurts").

Sports injury: "estoy lesionado/lesionada". It’s more serious than just a pain. E.g.: "Me he lesionado el tobillo, mejor no juego".

Colloquial in Spain: "estoy malo" = I’m (a bit) sick / unwell. E.g.: "Estoy malo, mejor lo dejamos para la semana que viene".

Prevention: before the match "calentar"; after, "estirar". This helps avoid injuries. (Warm-up and stretching.)

Useful messages: "Oye, lo siento, hoy no puedo". "Me duele la espalda". "¿Posponemos al sábado?" "¡Que te mejores!"

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Comprehension check:

En España, “estoy constipado” significa…
tengo catarro
tengo estreñimiento
tengo una lesión
In Spain, constipado = you have a cold (runny nose / mild cold), not "I’m constipated". It’s a classic false friend for English speakers.
Remember: constipado is about a cold, not about digestion.
Completa: ____ la rodilla, ¿posponemos?
Me duele
Estoy lesionado
Calentar
Pattern for pain: me duele + part of the body. "Estoy lesionado" is more serious and not specific; "calentar" means "to warm up", not a reason to cancel.
The pain formula in Spanish starts with "me…"
Tu amigo está enfermo. Respondes:
Que te mejores
Estoy malo
Estirar
The phrase to wish someone well is: "¡Que te mejores!". "Estoy malo" is used to talk about yourself; "estirar" is what you do after training (stretching).
You need a polite phrase to wish them a speedy recovery.

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