flu
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flu
A contagious infectious disease caused by viruses, accompanied by fever, cough, headaches, and aching limbs (influenza).
Wegen einer schweren Grippe musste er eine Woche lang das Bett hüten.
Because of a severe flu, he had to stay in bed for a week.
In German, you 'have' the flu: 'eine Grippe haben'. The most common and natural phrases are 'eine Grippe haben' (to have the flu), 'eine Grippe bekommen' (to get the flu), or 'an einer Grippe erkranken' (to fall ill with the flu).
Ich kann heute nicht zur Arbeit kommen, ich habe eine Grippe.
I can't come to work today; I have the flu.
In everyday language, 'Grippe' (flu) is often used for a normal but bad cold ('einen grippalen Infekt', a flu-like infection). This use is colloquial and not medically precise.
Ich glaube, ich brüte eine Grippe aus, mein Hals kratzt schon.
I think I'm coming down with the flu; my throat is already scratchy.
When people are talking about the 'echte Grippe' (real flu/influenza), this is often made clear by words like 'echt' (real), 'schwer' (severe), or by the medical context, e.g. 'Grippe-Impfung' (flu vaccination).
Die echte Grippe ist eine ernstzunehmende Krankheit.
The real flu is a serious illness.
cold
'Grippe' and 'Erkältung' are both respiratory illnesses and can have similar symptoms, for example a cough or sore throat. 'Erkältung' is usually milder and very common. 'Grippe' actually means the real flu, influenza, which is often more severe and comes with fever as well as strong headaches and aching limbs. In everyday speech, some people also use 'Grippe' for a bad cold. That is why the words are easy to confuse. To be precise: not every 'Erkältung' (cold) is a 'Grippe' (flu).
Wegen der Grippe lag Max eine Woche mit hohem Fieber im Bett.
Because of the flu, Max was in bed with a high fever for a week.
Bei einer leichten Erkältung trinkt Anna viel Tee und bleibt zu Hause.
When Anna has a mild cold, she drinks a lot of tea and stays home.