Spanish Health Vocabulary: Health Words in Spanish

Spanish Health Vocabulary

Start with the most common words, then expand your knowledge with intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Beginner (A1)

heart el corazón
body el cuerpo
pain el dolor
exercise el ejercicio
nurse el enfermero/la enfermera
stomach el estómago
hospital el hospital
doctor el médico/la médica
head la cabeza
diet la dieta
pharmacy la farmacia
fever la fiebre
throat la garganta
wound la herida
medicine la medicina
pill la pastilla
skin la piel
health la salud
cough la tos
bandage la venda

Elementary (A2)

fatigue el cansancio
brain el cerebro
pharmacist el farmacéutico/la farmacéutica
bone el hueso
liver el hígado
muscle el músculo
lung el pulmón
symptom el síntoma
treatment el tratamiento
virus el virus
plaster el yeso
needle la aguja
allergy la alergia
ambulance la ambulancia
clinic la clínica
rib la costilla
illness la dolencia
disease la enfermedad
cast la escayola
injury la lesión
operation la operación
prescription la receta
blood la sangre
wheelchair la silla de ruedas
vaccine la vacuna

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

antibiotic el antibiótico
antiseptic el antiséptico
diagnosis el diagnóstico
skeleton el esqueleto
intestine el intestino
mucus el moco
nerve el nervio
kidney el riñón
perspiration el sudor
organ el órgano
joint la articulación
bacteria la bacteria
surgery la cirugía
spine la columna vertebral
disability la discapacidad
chronic la enfermedad crónica
infection la infección
syringe la jeringa
tear la lágrima
crutch la muleta
nutrition la nutrición
prevention la prevención
saliva la saliva
therapy la terapia
vein la vena
analgesic el analgésico
appendix el apéndice
esophagus el esófago
small intestine el intestino delgado
large intestine el intestino grueso
ligament el ligamento
pancreas el páncreas
tendon el tendón
artery la arteria
urine la orina
rehabilitation la rehabilitación
trachea la tráquea
bladder la vejiga

Practice What You've Learned

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Example Sentences

In proper context. With highlighted verbs and adjectives.

Beginner & Elementary (A1-A2)

Basic sentences about symptoms, medical visits, and body parts.

El médico examina a los pacientes en el hospital. The doctor examines the patients at the hospital.
Mi abuela toma una pastilla para el dolor de cabeza. My grandmother takes a pill for her headache.
El niño siente un dolor fuerte en el estómago. The child feels a sharp pain in his stomach.
El paciente camina con una muleta por la habitación. The patient walks with a crutch around the room.
La enfermera limpia la herida con agua y jabón. The nurse cleans the wound with soap and water.
El niño está enfermo y necesita guardar reposo. The boy is sick and needs to rest.
Es muy importante tomar agua para cuidar la salud. It is very important to drink water to take care of your health.
El atleta tiene los músculos muy fuertes. The athlete has very strong muscles.
Tengo la garganta muy roja por la tos. My throat is very red because of the cough.
Mi abuelo se siente muy cansado hoy. My grandfather feels very tired today.

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

More complex health topics including surgeries, diagnoses, and medical conditions.

El cirujano opera al paciente en el quirófano. The surgeon operates on the patient in the operating room.
La infección se propaga si no se usa un antiséptico. The infection spreads if an antiseptic is not used.
El especialista analiza las muestras de sangre en el laboratorio. The specialist analyzes the blood samples in the laboratory.
El médico repara el ligamento dañado en la intervención. The doctor repairs the damaged ligament during the procedure.
La enfermera inyecta la vacuna en el brazo del paciente. The nurse injects the vaccine into the patient's arm.
El paciente sufre de una enfermedad crónica en los riñones. The patient suffers from a chronic disease in the kidneys.
El análisis mostró una inflamación severa en el intestino. The analysis showed severe inflammation in the intestine.
El tratamiento administrado resultó muy efective. The administered treatment proved to be very effective.
El niño tuvo una reacción alérgica al antibiótico. The child had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic.
El conductor sufrió una lesión grave en la columna vertebral. The driver suffered a serious injury to his spinal column.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about Spanish health vocabulary

The most common way to say something hurts is using the back-forming verb doler (to hurt), which works like gustar.

Me duele la cabeza. — My head hurts (singular noun).
Me duelen los pies. — My feet hurt (plural noun).
You can also use the noun el dolor: Tengo un dolor fuerte en el estómago. (I have a strong pain in my stomach).

Both terms are used interchangeably in daily conversation, but they have slight technical distinctions:

El médico / la médica: The official, precise title for a medical physician.
El doctor / la doctora: Commonly used as a respectful address for physicians, as well as anyone holding a doctorate degree (PhD).

Spanish uses different verbs depending on whether you are talking about symptoms, general feelings, or conditions:

Tener for physical symptoms or ailments: Tengo fiebre (I have a fever), Tengo tos (I have a cough).
Estar for general physical conditions: Estoy enfermo (I am sick), Está curado (He is cured).
Sentirse for internal feelings: Me siento cansado (I feel tired), Me siento mejor (I feel better).

Pharmacies (farmacias) in Spanish-speaking countries are often the first stop for minor ailments. Useful phrases include:

¿Tiene algo para...? — Do you have something for...?
¿Necesito receta para esto? — Do I need a prescription for this?
¿Cuántas pastillas debo tomar al día? — How many pills should I take a day?

While standard terms like medicina and hospital are universal, colloquial terms for everyday supplies differ significantly:

An adhesive bandage is called a tirita in Spain, but a curita in Mexico and most of Latin America.
A plaster cast is known as escayola in Spain, but yeso in Latin America.
The flu is usually called la gripe in Spain and Argentina, but la gripa in Mexico and Colombia.

Spanish Health Vocabulary