"They got sick."

Translation: Sie wurden krank.

[Davarrel]

Sie sind krank geworden is correct

[bf2010]

I used "Ihnen wurde schlecht" (a situation when you cannot name what is wrong as in "they got seasick) and I think it is a better translation. Personally I would translate "Sie wurden krank" as "they got/became ill" (something like pneumonia, the flu etc)

[OldMansChild]

why is it wurde rather than wurden when using ihnen?

[-Copernicus-]

Because the subject is an implied "es," not "ihnen." Since "ihnen" is dative, it can't be the subject.

The literal translation of bf2010's sentence is "For/to them [it] becomes bad."

[hm437e]

Why would "Es wurde ihnen schlecht" not be accepted?

[silverblaid]

I have replied "Sie sind erkrankt worden" and would really appreciate if someone could explain to me what was wrong with that

[bf2010]

You might say "Sie sind erkrankt" or "Sie sind krank geworden"; in your sentence you used a mixture of the two - which does not work in German. Think of it in the following way: The English version, "They got sick" is really a shortened form of the older "they have got/gotten (or have become) sick, which translates to German as "Sie sind krank geworden" or "sie wurden krank" ("krank werden" as "get sick" -> sie wird krank/sie wurde krank/sie sind krank geworden etc). Hope that helps :-).

[DanyDin]

hey, differnce between wurden and warden? danke

[-Copernicus-]

"Wurden" is the preterite form of "werden."

"Warden" isn't a word. Do you mean "waren" perhaps?

[Boarcas]

Actually DL gives a translation for "got" as "wurden/warden". Apparently "warden" is an older form not used much today.

[CameronCoo286637]

Was wondering the same thing DanyDin. Never seen that word before!

[-Copernicus-]

As far as I can tell, "worden" is only used with passive forms (e.g., "Der Apfel ist gegessen worden"--"The apple was eaten"). You need the full form "geworden" here.

EDIT: fixed from "... ist worden gegessen"

[bf2010]

"ist gegessen worden";)

[-Copernicus-]

Right, thanks. I always get my participles (and infinitives) mixed around at the ends of sentences.

[nighteagleowl]

Can I use bekommen instead of werden? thus »Sie bekamen krank«

[bf2010]

No, you can*t; it is always "krank werden" (for get ill), or "krank sein" for "be ill"