Health Vocabulary in Spanish: 85 Words and Phrases for Symptoms

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

This guide gives you practical Spanish for describing symptoms, body problems, and basic medical situations. It uses standard Latin American Spanish by default, but when a phrase is more common in Spain or varies by region, that gets noted clearly. No drama. Just the words that help you explain what hurts.

By the end, you’ll be able to say what hurts, describe common symptoms, ask for help, and understand the most useful health phrases without guessing like a doomed restaurant server hearing “I’m allergic to everything.”

For extra language nerd comfort, the Real Academia Española has the boring-but-reliable dictionary at the RAE dictionary.

Quick Starter: The Most Useful Health Phrases

Core Vocabulary: Body Parts You’ll Actually Use

When you talk about symptoms, body parts matter. Spanish usually uses the article with body parts: la cabeza, el brazo, la espalda. English often skips that, but Spanish is not going to skip it just because English feels lazy today.

Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts

Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical.

Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one.

Common Ailments And Basic Health Words

These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language.

Describing How Bad It Is

Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all.

Useful Verbs For Talking About Health

These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected.

Describing How Bad It Is

Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all.

Useful Verbs For Talking About Health

These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected.

Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts

Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical.

Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one.

Common Ailments And Basic Health Words

These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language.

Describing How Bad It Is

Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all.

Useful Verbs For Talking About Health

These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
sentirse	seen-TEER-seh	to feel	¿Cómo te sientes hoy?	How do you feel today?	Reflexive verb.
estar enfermo/a	ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah	to be sick	Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar.	I’m sick and I’m not going to work.	Use estar for temporary states.
tener	teh-NEHR	to have	Tengo tos y fiebre.	I have a cough and fever.	One of the most common symptom verbs.
tomar	toh-MAHR	to take / to drink	Tomé la medicina después de cenar.	I took the medicine after dinner.	Often used for medicine.
descansar	dehs-kahn-SAHR	to rest	Necesito descansar un poco.	Spanish health vocabulary is one of those topics that feels boring until you desperately need it. Then suddenly words like dolor, fiebre, and me duele become the stars of the show. Tiny emergency, big vocabulary moment. For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide. This guide gives you practical Spanish for describing symptoms, body problems, and basic medical situations. It uses standard Latin American Spanish by default, but when a phrase is more common in Spain or varies by region, that gets noted clearly. No drama. Just the words that help you explain what hurts. By the end, you’ll be able to say what hurts, describe common symptoms, ask for help, and understand the most useful health phrases without guessing like a doomed restaurant server hearing “I’m allergic to everything.” For extra language nerd comfort, the Real Academia Española has the boring-but-reliable dictionary at the RAE dictionary. Quick Starter: The Most Useful Health Phrases Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note Me duele la cabeza. meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-sah My head hurts / I have a headache Me duele la cabeza desde ayer. My head has hurt since yesterday. Very common. Use me duele for singular body parts. Me siento mal. meh SYEN-toh mahl I feel sick / bad Me siento mal después de comer. I feel sick after eating. Neutral and useful in many situations. Tengo fiebre. TEN-goh FYEH-breh I have a fever Tengo fiebre y dolor de garganta. I have a fever and a sore throat. Tener is used for many symptoms. Me duele el estómago. meh DWEH-leh el ehs-TOH-mah-goh My stomach hurts Me duele el estómago por algo que comí. My stomach hurts because of something I ate. Estómago often means stomach / belly area. Necesito un médico. neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh I need a doctor Necesito un médico ahora mismo. I need a doctor right now. Polite and direct. Handy in emergencies. ¿Qué me recomienda? keh meh reh-koh-myen-DAH What do you recommend for me? ¿Qué me recomienda para el dolor? What do you recommend for the pain? Useful in pharmacies and clinics. Core Vocabulary: Body Parts You’ll Actually Use When you talk about symptoms, body parts matter. Spanish usually uses the article with body parts: la cabeza, el brazo, la espalda. English often skips that, but Spanish is not going to skip it just because English feels lazy today. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish health vocabulary is one of those topics that feels boring until you desperately need it. Then suddenly words like dolor, fiebre, and me duele become the stars of the show. Tiny emergency, big vocabulary moment. For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide. This guide gives you practical Spanish for describing symptoms, body problems, and basic medical situations. It uses standard Latin American Spanish by default, but when a phrase is more common in Spain or varies by region, that gets noted clearly. No drama. Just the words that help you explain what hurts. By the end, you’ll be able to say what hurts, describe common symptoms, ask for help, and understand the most useful health phrases without guessing like a doomed restaurant server hearing “I’m allergic to everything.” For extra language nerd comfort, the Real Academia Española has the boring-but-reliable dictionary at the RAE dictionary. Quick Starter: The Most Useful Health Phrases Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note Me duele la cabeza. meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-sah My head hurts / I have a headache Me duele la cabeza desde ayer. My head has hurt since yesterday. Very common. Use me duele for singular body parts. Me siento mal. meh SYEN-toh mahl I feel sick / bad Me siento mal después de comer. I feel sick after eating. Neutral and useful in many situations. Tengo fiebre. TEN-goh FYEH-breh I have a fever Tengo fiebre y dolor de garganta. I have a fever and a sore throat. Tener is used for many symptoms. Me duele el estómago. meh DWEH-leh el ehs-TOH-mah-goh My stomach hurts Me duele el estómago por algo que comí. My stomach hurts because of something I ate. Estómago often means stomach / belly area. Necesito un médico. neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh I need a doctor Necesito un médico ahora mismo. I need a doctor right now. Polite and direct. Handy in emergencies. ¿Qué me recomienda? keh meh reh-koh-myen-DAH What do you recommend for me? ¿Qué me recomienda para el dolor? What do you recommend for the pain? Useful in pharmacies and clinics. Core Vocabulary: Body Parts You’ll Actually Use When you talk about symptoms, body parts matter. Spanish usually uses the article with body parts: la cabeza, el brazo, la espalda. English often skips that, but Spanish is not going to skip it just because English feels lazy today. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish health vocabulary is one of those topics that feels boring until you desperately need it. Then suddenly words like dolor, fiebre, and me duele become the stars of the show. Tiny emergency, big vocabulary moment. For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide. This guide gives you practical Spanish for describing symptoms, body problems, and basic medical situations. It uses standard Latin American Spanish by default, but when a phrase is more common in Spain or varies by region, that gets noted clearly. No drama. Just the words that help you explain what hurts. By the end, you’ll be able to say what hurts, describe common symptoms, ask for help, and understand the most useful health phrases without guessing like a doomed restaurant server hearing “I’m allergic to everything.” For extra language nerd comfort, the Real Academia Española has the boring-but-reliable dictionary at the RAE dictionary. Quick Starter: The Most Useful Health Phrases Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note Me duele la cabeza. meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-sah My head hurts / I have a headache Me duele la cabeza desde ayer. My head has hurt since yesterday. Very common. Use me duele for singular body parts. Me siento mal. meh SYEN-toh mahl I feel sick / bad Me siento mal después de comer. I feel sick after eating. Neutral and useful in many situations. Tengo fiebre. TEN-goh FYEH-breh I have a fever Tengo fiebre y dolor de garganta. I have a fever and a sore throat. Tener is used for many symptoms. Me duele el estómago. meh DWEH-leh el ehs-TOH-mah-goh My stomach hurts Me duele el estómago por algo que comí. My stomach hurts because of something I ate. Estómago often means stomach / belly area. Necesito un médico. neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh I need a doctor Necesito un médico ahora mismo. I need a doctor right now. Polite and direct. Handy in emergencies. ¿Qué me recomienda? keh meh reh-koh-myen-DAH What do you recommend for me? ¿Qué me recomienda para el dolor? What do you recommend for the pain? Useful in pharmacies and clinics. Core Vocabulary: Body Parts You’ll Actually Use When you talk about symptoms, body parts matter. Spanish usually uses the article with body parts: la cabeza, el brazo, la espalda. English often skips that, but Spanish is not going to skip it just because English feels lazy today. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish health vocabulary is one of those topics that feels boring until you desperately need it. Then suddenly words like dolor, fiebre, and me duele become the stars of the show. Tiny emergency, big vocabulary moment. For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide. This guide gives you practical Spanish for describing symptoms, body problems, and basic medical situations. It uses standard Latin American Spanish by default, but when a phrase is more common in Spain or varies by region, that gets noted clearly. No drama. Just the words that help you explain what hurts. By the end, you’ll be able to say what hurts, describe common symptoms, ask for help, and understand the most useful health phrases without guessing like a doomed restaurant server hearing “I’m allergic to everything.” For extra language nerd comfort, the Real Academia Española has the boring-but-reliable dictionary at the RAE dictionary. Quick Starter: The Most Useful Health Phrases Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note Me duele la cabeza. meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-sah My head hurts / I have a headache Me duele la cabeza desde ayer. My head has hurt since yesterday. Very common. Use me duele for singular body parts. Me siento mal. meh SYEN-toh mahl I feel sick / bad Me siento mal después de comer. I feel sick after eating. Neutral and useful in many situations. Tengo fiebre. TEN-goh FYEH-breh I have a fever Tengo fiebre y dolor de garganta. I have a fever and a sore throat. Tener is used for many symptoms. Me duele el estómago. meh DWEH-leh el ehs-TOH-mah-goh My stomach hurts Me duele el estómago por algo que comí. My stomach hurts because of something I ate. Estómago often means stomach / belly area. Necesito un médico. neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh I need a doctor Necesito un médico ahora mismo. I need a doctor right now. Polite and direct. Handy in emergencies. ¿Qué me recomienda? keh meh reh-koh-myen-DAH What do you recommend for me? ¿Qué me recomienda para el dolor? What do you recommend for the pain? Useful in pharmacies and clinics. Core Vocabulary: Body Parts You’ll Actually Use When you talk about symptoms, body parts matter. Spanish usually uses the article with body parts: la cabeza, el brazo, la espalda. English often skips that, but Spanish is not going to skip it just because English feels lazy today. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish health vocabulary is one of those topics that feels boring until you desperately need it. Then suddenly words like dolor, fiebre, and me duele become the stars of the show. Tiny emergency, big vocabulary moment. For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide. This guide gives you practical Spanish for describing symptoms, body problems, and basic medical situations. It uses standard Latin American Spanish by default, but when a phrase is more common in Spain or varies by region, that gets noted clearly. No drama. Just the words that help you explain what hurts. By the end, you’ll be able to say what hurts, describe common symptoms, ask for help, and understand the most useful health phrases without guessing like a doomed restaurant server hearing “I’m allergic to everything.” For extra language nerd comfort, the Real Academia Española has the boring-but-reliable dictionary at the RAE dictionary. Quick Starter: The Most Useful Health Phrases Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note Me duele la cabeza. meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-sah My head hurts / I have a headache Me duele la cabeza desde ayer. My head has hurt since yesterday. Very common. Use me duele for singular body parts. Me siento mal. meh SYEN-toh mahl I feel sick / bad Me siento mal después de comer. I feel sick after eating. Neutral and useful in many situations. Tengo fiebre. TEN-goh FYEH-breh I have a fever Tengo fiebre y dolor de garganta. I have a fever and a sore throat. Tener is used for many symptoms. Me duele el estómago. meh DWEH-leh el ehs-TOH-mah-goh My stomach hurts Me duele el estómago por algo que comí. My stomach hurts because of something I ate. Estómago often means stomach / belly area. Necesito un médico. neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh I need a doctor Necesito un médico ahora mismo. I need a doctor right now. Polite and direct. Handy in emergencies. ¿Qué me recomienda? keh meh reh-koh-myen-DAH What do you recommend for me? ¿Qué me recomienda para el dolor? What do you recommend for the pain? Useful in pharmacies and clinics. Core Vocabulary: Body Parts You’ll Actually Use When you talk about symptoms, body parts matter. Spanish usually uses the article with body parts: la cabeza, el brazo, la espalda. English often skips that, but Spanish is not going to skip it just because English feels lazy today. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Spanish health vocabulary is one of those topics that feels boring until you desperately need it. Then suddenly words like dolor, fiebre, and me duele become the stars of the show. Tiny emergency, big vocabulary moment. For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide. This guide gives you practical Spanish for describing symptoms, body problems, and basic medical situations. It uses standard Latin American Spanish by default, but when a phrase is more common in Spain or varies by region, that gets noted clearly. No drama. Just the words that help you explain what hurts. By the end, you’ll be able to say what hurts, describe common symptoms, ask for help, and understand the most useful health phrases without guessing like a doomed restaurant server hearing “I’m allergic to everything.” For extra language nerd comfort, the Real Academia Española has the boring-but-reliable dictionary at the RAE dictionary. Quick Starter: The Most Useful Health Phrases Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note Me duele la cabeza. meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-sah My head hurts / I have a headache Me duele la cabeza desde ayer. My head has hurt since yesterday. Very common. Use me duele for singular body parts. Me siento mal. meh SYEN-toh mahl I feel sick / bad Me siento mal después de comer. I feel sick after eating. Neutral and useful in many situations. Tengo fiebre. TEN-goh FYEH-breh I have a fever Tengo fiebre y dolor de garganta. I have a fever and a sore throat. Tener is used for many symptoms. Me duele el estómago. meh DWEH-leh el ehs-TOH-mah-goh My stomach hurts Me duele el estómago por algo que comí. My stomach hurts because of something I ate. Estómago often means stomach / belly area. Necesito un médico. neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh I need a doctor Necesito un médico ahora mismo. I need a doctor right now. Polite and direct. Handy in emergencies. ¿Qué me recomienda? keh meh reh-koh-myen-DAH What do you recommend for me? ¿Qué me recomienda para el dolor? What do you recommend for the pain? Useful in pharmacies and clinics. Core Vocabulary: Body Parts You’ll Actually Use When you talk about symptoms, body parts matter. Spanish usually uses the article with body parts: la cabeza, el brazo, la espalda. English often skips that, but Spanish is not going to skip it just because English feels lazy today. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la cabeza lah kah-BEH-sah head Me golpeé la cabeza. I hit my head. Feminine noun. Use la. el ojo el OH-ho eye Me arde el ojo derecho. My right eye burns. j sounds like a strong “h.” la nariz lah nah-REES nose Tengo la nariz tapada. I have a blocked nose. z in Latin America sounds like an s. la garganta lah gahr-GAHN-tah throat Me duele la garganta al tragar. My throat hurts when I swallow. Very common with colds and infections. el pecho el PEH-cho chest Siento presión en el pecho. I feel pressure in my chest. Important word in medical settings. la espalda lah ehs-PAHL-dah back Me duele la espalda baja. My lower back hurts. espalda baja = lower back. el brazo el BRAH-so arm Me duele el brazo izquierdo. My left arm hurts. Useful after exercise or injury. la mano lah MAH-no hand Me corté la mano con papel. I cut my hand with paper. Painfully common. Paper is rude like that. la pierna lah PYEHR-nah leg Me duele la pierna al caminar. My leg hurts when I walk. Use for the whole leg. el pie el pyeh foot Me lastimé el pie jugando fútbol. I hurt my foot playing soccer. Plural is los pies. el estómago el ehs-TOH-mah-goh stomach / belly Me duele el estómago después de comer mucho. My stomach hurts after eating a lot. In everyday speech, people often mean the belly area. la piel lah pyehl skin Me pica la piel. My skin itches. Common for allergies and irritation. Symptoms And How To Say What Hurts Spanish often uses me duele for “it hurts me” and tengo for “I have” when talking about symptoms. That’s the big pattern. Once you get that, lots of health talk becomes far less mysterious and far less theatrical. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note dolor doh-LOHR pain Tengo mucho dolor en la pierna. I have a lot of pain in my leg. Very common noun. me duele meh DWEH-leh it hurts me / I have pain in Me duele la rodilla. My knee hurts. Use with one body part. me duelen meh DWEH-len they hurt me / I have pain in Me duelen los pies. My feet hurt. Use with plural body parts. ardor ahr-DOHR burning / burning sensation Siento ardor en los ojos. I feel burning in my eyes. Can be used for skin, eyes, stomach, etc. picazón pee-kah-SON itching Tengo picazón en la piel. I have itching on my skin. In some places people also say comezón. hinchazón een-chah-SON swelling Hay hinchazón en el tobillo. There is swelling in the ankle. Medical and clear. náuseas NOW-seh-ahs nausea Tengo náuseas desde la mañana. I’ve had nausea since morning. Usually plural in Spanish. mareo mah-REH-oh dizziness Siento mareo cuando me levanto. I feel dizzy when I stand up. Useful for “dizzy” feelings. tos tohs cough Tengo tos seca. I have a dry cough. tos seca = dry cough. estornudar ehs-tohr-noo-DAHR to sneeze Empiezo a estornudar cuando hay polvo. I start sneezing when there is dust. Infinitive verb. gripe GREE-peh flu Tengo gripe y no puedo salir. I have the flu and can’t go out. More serious than a cold. resfriado res-free-AH-doh cold Creo que tengo un resfriado. I think I have a cold. Very common in Latin America and Spain. fiebre FYEH-breh fever La fiebre no baja. The fever isn’t going down. Commonly used with tener. cansancio kahn-SAHN-syoh tiredness / fatigue Siento mucho cansancio hoy. I feel very tired today. Can suggest more than ordinary tiredness. debilidad deh-bee-lee-DAHD weakness Tengo debilidad en las piernas. I have weakness in my legs. More formal / medical. Rule: me duele goes with one thing. me duelen goes with more than one. Pattern Meaning Spanish Example English Translation Learner Note Me duele + singular body part One thing hurts Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Use with singular nouns. Me duelen + plural body parts More than one thing hurts Me duelen los ojos. My eyes hurt. Plural noun = plural verb. Tengo + symptom I have a symptom Tengo fiebre. I have a fever. Very common with health vocabulary. Siento + symptom I feel a symptom Siento mareo. I feel dizzy. Often used for sensations. Common Ailments And Basic Health Words These are the kinds of words you hear in pharmacies, clinics, and everyday conversation. Nothing fancy. Just the practical stuff that helps you survive adult life in another language. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note la medicina lah meh-dee-SEE-nah medicine / medication Tomé la medicina a tiempo. I took the medicine on time. Can mean medicine in general. la pastilla lah pahs-TEE-yah pill Necesito una pastilla para el dolor. I need a pill for the pain. Very common in pharmacies. el jarabe el hah-RAH-beh syrup El jarabe me ayuda a dormir. The syrup helps me sleep. j is a strong throat sound. la receta lah reh-SEH-tah prescription Necesito una receta médica. I need a medical prescription. Different from a cooking recipe. el médico / la médica el MEH-dee-koh / lah MEH-dee-kah doctor La médica me hizo preguntas. The doctor asked me questions. Gendered noun. In many places doctor is also used. la enfermera / el enfermero lah ehn-fehr-MEH-rah / el ehn-fehr-MEH-roh nurse La enfermera fue muy amable. The nurse was very kind. Gender changes with the person. la clínica lah KLEE-nee-kah clinic Voy a la clínica esta tarde. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon. Useful for appointments. el hospital el ohs-pee-TAHL hospital Lo llevaron al hospital. They took him to the hospital. h is silent. la farmacia lah fahr-MAH-syah pharmacy Voy a la farmacia a comprar algo. I’m going to the pharmacy to buy something. Very useful when traveling. la emergencia lah eh-mehr-HEN-syah emergency Es una emergencia. It’s an emergency. Say this clearly and simply. el seguro el seh-GOO-roh insurance ¿Aceptan seguro médico? Do you accept medical insurance? Common in practical travel Spanish. la cita lah SEE-tah appointment Tengo una cita con el doctor. I have an appointment with the doctor. Very common in medical contexts. Describing How Bad It Is Once you know the symptom, the next job is saying how strong it is. Spanish uses simple intensity words for this, and they’re worth memorizing because “a little pain” and “I need help now” are not the same vibe at all. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note un poco oon POH-koh a little Me duele un poco la espalda. My back hurts a little. Very common softener. bastante bahs-TAHN-teh quite / fairly / a lot Me duele bastante la pierna. My leg hurts quite a lot. Flexible word. Context matters. mucho MOO-choh very much / a lot Me duele mucho la garganta. My throat hurts a lot. Strong and simple. muy fuerte mwee FWEHR-teh very strong / severe El dolor es muy fuerte. The pain is very severe. Good for serious pain. leve LEH-beh mild Es un dolor leve. It’s mild pain. Common in medical descriptions. grave GRAH-beh serious Es algo grave. It’s something serious. Important adjective in health contexts. repentino reh-pehn-TEE-noh sudden El dolor fue repentino. The pain was sudden. Useful for describing onset. Useful Verbs For Talking About Health These verbs show up constantly. They are small, stubborn, and ridiculously useful. Learn them and you’ll suddenly understand much more medical Spanish than you expected. Spanish Pronunciation Meaning Example Sentence Translation Learner Note sentirse seen-TEER-seh to feel ¿Cómo te sientes hoy? How do you feel today? Reflexive verb. estar enfermo/a ehs-TAHR ehn-FEHR-moh / ehn-FEHR-mah to be sick Estoy enfermo y no voy a trabajar. I’m sick and I’m not going to work. Use estar for temporary states. tener teh-NEHR to have Tengo tos y fiebre. I have a cough and fever. One of the most common symptom verbs. tomar toh-MAHR to take / to drink Tomé la medicina después de cenar. I took the medicine after dinner. Often used for medicine. descansar dehs-kahn-SAHR to rest Necesito descansar un poco. Related Posts Querer In Spanish Learn Spanish - All Posts / By JJ Pryor Spanish Regular -AR, -ER, -IR Verb Conjugation Basics for Beginners Learn Spanish - All Posts / By JJ Pryor Dormir Expressions in Spanish Learn Spanish - All Posts / By JJ Pryor Spanish Irregular Verbs for Beginners: Stem-Changers + Go-Verbs (With Examples) Learn Spanish - All Posts / By JJ Pryor