Spanish course

Lesson 138 of 238

New here? This is lesson 138 of a free 238-lesson Spanish course.

Start hereHow this works

Free Spanish CourseLesson 138 of 238

Something for a headache in Spanish

Justin has a headache, so he crosses the street from Café Laurel to Esther's pharmacy.

He needs to ask for medicine, check how often to take it, and ask whether it is safe.

Esther answers dryly, especially when Justin shows her a mysterious note from inside the tin.

By the end of this lesson

Ask for headache medicine, ask how often to take it, and check whether it is safe.

  • Necesito algo para ___I need something for ___
  • ¿Necesito receta?Do I need a prescription?
  • ¿Cada cuánto debo tomarlo?How often should I take it?
  • Tomo ___ todos los díasI take ___ every day
  • ¿Es seguro para ___?Is this safe for ___?
  • ¿Puedo tomar esto con ___?Can I take this with ___?

Scene — a pharmacy across the street

Esther's pharmacy is across from Café Laurel, and Justin has come in with a headache.

A small medicine tin contains a handwritten note that Esther does not trust, even before reading it. She distrusts the note more than the headache.

Justin enters Esther's pharmacy with a headache while Esther distrustfully examines a small medicine tin containing a handwritten note, with Café Laurel visible across the sunny street.

Learn — asking about medicine

These six chunks help you handle a simple pharmacy visit without trying to build every sentence from scratch.

You'll ask for something, check instructions, and mention another medicine.

  1. Justin, the speaker, presses his forehead and gestures toward the pharmacy shelves as he asks for something for his headache.

    Necesito algo para ___

    I need something for ___

    When to use it: Say this when you need medicine or another item for a specific problem.

    Fill the blank with the problem, such as dolor de cabeza.

    Say it: neh-seh-SEE-toh AHL-goh PAH-rah

  2. Justin, the speaker, raises one questioning finger toward Esther while asking whether he needs a prescription.

    ¿Necesito receta?

    Do I need a prescription?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want to know whether a prescription is required.

    Receta means prescription in this pharmacy context.

    Say it: neh-seh-SEE-toh reh-SEH-tah

  3. Justin, the speaker, points at the medicine in Esther's hand and asks how often he should take it.

    ¿Cada cuánto debo tomarlo?

    How often should I take it?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need the time interval for taking medicine.

    Cada cuánto asks about frequency; tomarlo means take it.

    Say it: KAH-dah KWAN-toh DEH-boh toh-MAR-loh

  4. Justin, the speaker, opens the small medicine tin to show his daily tablets while explaining that he takes them every day.

    Tomo ___ todos los días

    I take ___ every day

    When to use it: Use this to tell a pharmacist about medicine you take every day.

    Here tomo means take medicine, not drink; todos los días means every day.

    Say it: TOH-moh TOH-dohs lohs DEE-ahs

  5. Justin, the speaker, rests a hand on his stomach and asks whether the medicine is safe for him.

    ¿Es seguro para ___?

    Is this safe for ___?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want to check safety for a person or condition.

    Seguro means safe; para introduces the person or condition.

    Say it: ehs seh-GOO-roh PAH-rah

  6. Justin, the speaker, holds a plain coffee cup beside the medicine and asks whether he can take them together.

    ¿Puedo tomar esto con ___?

    Can I take this with ___?

    When to use it: Ask this before combining the medicine with another medicine or substance.

    Con means with, and esto means this.

    Say it: PWEH-doh toh-MAR EHS-toh kohn

Story — a doubtful note

Watch Justin handle a real pharmacy conversation, from describing the problem to checking medicine instructions.

The highlighted chunks are today's lines. Turn on Show English if you need help.

  1. The pharmacy is across from the café. Justin presses his forehead.
  2. EstherBuenos días. ¿Qué necesitas?Good morning. What do you need?
  3. JustinNecesito algo para dolor de cabeza.I need something for a headache.
  4. Justin¿Necesito receta?Do I need a prescription?
  5. EstherNo necesitas receta para esto.You don't need a prescription for this.
  6. Justin¿Cada cuánto debo tomarlo?How often should I take it?
  7. EstherUna tableta cada ocho horas.One tablet every eight hours.
  8. JustinTomo aspirina todos los días.I take aspirin every day.
  9. Justin¿Es seguro para mi estómago?Is this safe for my stomach?
  10. EstherMejor pregunta a tu doctor.You'd better ask your doctor.
  11. Justin¿Puedo tomar esto con aspirina?Can I take this with aspirin?
  12. EstherMejor no mezcles medicinas sin preguntar.You'd better not mix medicines without asking.
  13. JustinGracias. La nota dice: «Confía en mí».Thank you. The note says: “Trust me.”
  14. Esther looks at the note and puts it straight into the trash.
  15. EstherNo confío en una nota dentro de una lata.I don't trust a note inside a tin.

Practice — medicine questions

You'll listen, match meanings, choose replies, fill gaps, and change one familiar chunk for a new situation.

Read the English carefully before choosing.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    Necesito algo para ___Drop the English here
    ¿Necesito receta?Drop the English here
    Buenos días.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Spanish, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You have a headache and want the pharmacist to recommend something for it.

  4. Fill the gap

    I take ___ every day

    Tomo ___ ____ los días

  5. What does it mean?

    Me duele la cabeza

  6. What do you say?

    Tell the pharmacist about a medicine you take every day.

  7. True or false?

    This line checks whether something is safe for a person or condition.

  8. What do you say?

    Before combining the new medicine with aspirin, ask the pharmacist whether that is safe.

  9. What does it mean?

    Gracias

  10. Build the line

    Do I need a prescription?

    ¿ ?

    Tap the words in order.

Say it — at the pharmacy

Now you're Justin at Esther's pharmacy, and you'll ask the important questions yourself.

Tap ▶ to hear a model line, then tap the microphone. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. EstherBuenos días. ¿Qué necesitas?Good morning. What do you need?
  2. Justin (you)Say that you need something for a headache.

    Necesito algo para ___

    I need something for ___

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

SpanishEnglish
Necesito algo para ___I need something for ___
¿Necesito receta?Do I need a prescription?
¿Cada cuánto debo tomarlo?How often should I take it?
Tomo ___ todos los díasI take ___ every day
¿Es seguro para ___?Is this safe for ___?
¿Puedo tomar esto con ___?Can I take this with ___?
Next: lesson 139I missed a dose

Save your progress — it’s free

Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.

Want the next lesson in your inbox?

Get the next lesson by email, one a day.

Where should we start?
Join the newsletter

Daily lesson emails are coming soon. Newsletter subscribers get them first.

Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these pharmacy chunks handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

Review the cards by asking about the problem, the schedule, and medicine combinations.

Open Yak Cards