Time off work · Work
take sick leave
be absent through illness
To take sick leave means to stop working temporarily because you are ill.
This vs that
I'm taking sick leave this week.
I'm taking annual leave next week.
Hear it in real life
Is Priya coming in today?
No, she's taken sick leave until Friday.
I had to take sick leave for a week after I came down with flu.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
'Take sick leave' is the normal workplace phrase for being off work because you are ill.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: I need to take a sick leave for two days.
Say: I need to take sick leave for two days.
'Sick leave' is normally uncountable in this expression.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
take sick leave for ___
I had to take sick leave for three days.
She took sick leave for a week after the operation.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about time off work.
take a day off
I'm going to take a day off next Monday.
be off sick
Tom's been off sick since Tuesday.
Time off work words
Work · Time off work: the words around “take sick leave”.
More connectionsEasy to mix up · More time off work words9
Easy to mix up
More time off work words
Your turn: say it out loud
I'm going to take sick leave for a few days.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
take sick leave
be absent through illness
“I had to take sick leave for a week after I came down with flu.”
heytardy