Health & Hospital

1. Tengo dolor de cabeza

   I have a headache

   Usage

   Telling a doctor or pharmacist about a headache

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence; native review recommended. "Tengo dolor + de/n' + body part" names the pain; swap the body part for other aches

2. Soi alérxicu / alérxica a la penicilina

   I am allergic to penicillin

   Usage

   A key phrase to tell doctors or pharmacists about a drug allergy

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence; native review recommended. Men say alérxicu, women alérxica. Soi is the first person of ser (Spanish soy). Swap the allergen for other allergies

3. Tengo náusees

   I feel nauseous

   Usage

   Telling a doctor or companion that you feel sick

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence; native review recommended. Feminine plural in -es (náusees); the singular náusea is also used. If you have actually been sick, use the verb vomitar

4. ¿Fala inglés el médicu?

   Does the doctor speak English?

   Usage

   Asking whether the doctor speaks English

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence; native review recommended. "To speak" is falar (not Spanish hablar), third person fala. Médicu ends in -u. Language names are lower case

5. Tengo dolor d'estómagu

   I have a stomachache

   Usage

   Describing stomach pain after eating or while travelling

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence; native review recommended. Before a vowel de becomes d' (d'estómagu). Estómagu ends in -u

6. Necesito una receta médica

   I need a prescription

   Usage

   Asking a doctor for a prescription

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence; native review recommended. Receta médica is a prescription; receta alone is also understood

7. Toi embarazada

   I am pregnant

   Usage

   Say this first at a clinic or pharmacy, because it changes which medicines and X-rays are safe

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence; native review recommended. A temporary state takes toi (first person of tar, Spanish estoy). Embarazada is the feminine form for a woman

8. l'asma

   Asthma

   Usage

   Names asthma as a pre-existing condition; show it with your inhaler

   Grammar Note

   Before a vowel the article is reduced to l'. Asma is masculine, as in asma alérxicu

9. la diabetes

   Diabetes

   Usage

   Names diabetes when explaining diet limits or low blood sugar

   Grammar Note

   Feminine, with the same form in singular and plural. As a sentence: "Tengo diabetes"

10. la hipertensión

    High blood pressure

    Usage

    Tells medical staff about a condition that limits which drugs you can take

    Grammar Note

    Feminine. The initial h is silent. The medical term is hipertensión arterial

11. una enfermedá del corazón

    Heart condition

    Usage

    Names a heart condition for medical staff

    Grammar Note

    "Illness" is enfermedá (ending in -á, not Spanish enfermedad). Composed phrase; native review recommended. "Tengo una enfermedá del corazón" makes it a sentence

12. la epilepsia

    Epilepsy

    Usage

    Names epilepsy for medical staff or bystanders who need to know why you collapsed

    Grammar Note

    Feminine. It has the same form as in Spanish

13. el seguru médicu

    Health insurance

    Usage

    Show it at reception when asked about insurance

    Grammar Note

    Masculine, ending in -u (Spanish seguro). Seguru alone can also mean "safe", so keep médicu attached

14. una fractura

    A fracture

    Usage

    Says you may have a broken bone; point at the spot while showing it

    Grammar Note

    Feminine. Add the bone after it, as in fractura de fémur

15. Toi mareáu / mareada

    I feel dizzy

    Usage

    Telling a doctor or companion that you feel dizzy

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence; native review recommended. Men say mareáu (ending -áu), women mareada

16. Toi sangrando

    I am bleeding

    Usage

    Reports bleeding; point at the wound while saying it

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence; native review recommended. "Tar + gerund (-ando)" expresses an action in progress

17. una quemadura

    A burn

    Usage

    Used when asking for treatment for a burn

    Grammar Note

    Feminine. The plural is quemadures (-es)

18. una firida

    A wound

    Usage

    Used when asking for treatment for a cut or graze

    Grammar Note

    Feminine and starts with f- (not Spanish herida). Mancadura is a synonym

19. el pescuezu

    Neck

    Usage

    Body part to point at when showing where it hurts

    Grammar Note

    Masculine, ending in -u. It is a different word from Spanish cuello

20. el hombru

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Body part to point at when showing where it hurts

    Grammar Note

    Masculine, ending in -u. This word means "shoulder", not "man" (man is home)

21. la rodiella

    Knee

    Usage

    Body part to point at when showing where it hurts

    Grammar Note

    Feminine. The ll is close to /ʎ/; it corresponds to Spanish rodilla

22. los deos

    Fingers

    Usage

    Body part to point at when showing where it hurts

    Grammar Note

    Learn it in the plural. Toes are "deos del pie"

23. la piel

    Skin

    Usage

    Used when reporting a rash or other skin problem

    Grammar Note

    Feminine. Pelleyu is a synonym

24. el brazu

    Arm

    Usage

    Body part to point at when showing where it hurts

    Grammar Note

    Masculine, ending in -u (Spanish brazo)

25. la ñariz

    Nose

    Usage

    Body part to point at for a blocked nose or a nosebleed

    Grammar Note

    Feminine and spelled with ñ- (Spanish nariz has n-)

26. la tos

    Cough

    Usage

    Names a cough for a doctor or pharmacist

    Grammar Note

    Feminine, with the same form in singular and plural. "Tengo tos" means "I have a cough"

27. l'estriñimientu

    Constipation

    Usage

    Names constipation at a pharmacy or clinic; easier to show than to say

    Grammar Note

    Masculine, ending in -u (Spanish estreñimiento). El is reduced to l' before a vowel

28. la menstruación

    Menstruation

    Usage

    The word for menstruation when speaking to medical staff

    Grammar Note

    Feminine. The everyday word regla also means "rule", so this term is unambiguous

29. un certificáu médicu

    Medical certificate

    Usage

    The paper you ask a doctor for to claim insurance or prove an absence

    Grammar Note

    Masculine, ending in -áu (Spanish certificado). For a detailed diagnosis ask instead for an informe médicu

30. la hospitalización

    Hospital admission

    Usage

    For checking whether you have to be admitted, or when you are told you will be

    Grammar Note

    Feminine. The initial h is silent

31. el resfriáu

    Common cold

    Usage

    Covers nose and throat cold symptoms together

    Grammar Note

    Masculine, ending in -áu (Spanish resfriado). Influenza is a different word, gripe, which is masculine

32. Llame a un médicu, por favor

    Please call a doctor

    Usage

    Asking a bystander to call a doctor for someone who needs to be seen at once

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence; native review recommended. The object is a person, so the preposition a is required. The polite usté imperative is Llame

33. Nun me siento bien

    I don't feel well

    Usage

    Say that you are unwell before going into specific symptoms

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence; native review recommended. Negation puts nun before the verb (not Spanish no)

34. la foria

    Diarrhoea

    Usage

    Names the symptom at a pharmacy or clinic

    Grammar Note

    Feminine. Cirria is a synonym. It is a different word from Spanish diarrea

35. Tengo foria

    I have diarrhoea

    Usage

    Tell a doctor or pharmacist the symptom, then say how many days it has lasted

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence; native review recommended. The "Tengo + symptom" frame takes no article before the symptom

36. ¿Necesito descansar?

    Do I need to rest?

    Usage

    Checking with the doctor after an examination whether you need to rest

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence; native review recommended. "Necesito + infinitive" means "I need to …"

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