50 Essential Medical Phrases for Your Upcoming Physical
Are you planning to take a physical check-up in a Spanish-speaking country and you have no idea of any Spanish medical phrases?
Or perhaps your doctor is a native Spanish speaker and you want to use your physical to practice some Spanish?
The truth is that you never know when you’re going to need to use medical Spanish terms or understand Spanish medical phrases. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not one of the main Spanish topics you need to learn.
Keep reading to learn why you should learn medical Spanish terms and phrases, the ultimate list with the 50 essential medical phrases divided into useful terms, medical phrases for doctors, nurses, and patients, and a section dedicated to common questions and answers.
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Why Should You Learn Medical Spanish Terms and Phrases?
There are plenty of reasons to learn a language. Perhaps you want to get better job opportunities, travel to other countries, or just learn about a new culture.
During the language learning process, you get to discover that mastering a new language such as Spanish, involves a lot of different parts. You have to learn its grammar and how to read it. You have to understand other people when they’re speaking. Then you also have to learn to write it and speak it yourself.
One of the most important parts is to learn the vocabulary needed to be able to understand the language and express yourself at ease in it. But there’s a lot of different kinds of vocabulary in Spanish, but you can make the case that none is as important as medical Spanish terms. Knowing this vocabulary can save your life in a determined moment or at the very least, allow you to communicate properly with your doctor or nurse during your next physical check-up.
50 Essential Spanish Medical Phrases
For the reasons mentioned above, I’ve put together this list with 50 essential medical Spanish terms to know, including technical medical words, common Spanish medical phrases, and typical questions and answers that you may hear during a physical.
Let’s start with some basic English to Spanish medical terms.
Common Medical Spanish Terms
| English | Spanish |
| 1. doctor | el doctor / la doctora |
| 2. nurse | el enfermero /la enfermera |
| 3. hospital | el hospital |
| 4. insurance | el seguro |
| 5. emergency room | la sala de emergencia |
| 6. infection | la infección |
| 7. surgery | la cirugía |
| 8. anesthesia | la anestesia |
| 9. blood | la sangre |
| 10. medicine | la medicina |
| 11. lab | el laboratorio |
| 12. pain | el dolor |
| 13. fever | la fiebre |
| 14. to cough | toser |
Spanish Medical Phrases for Doctors
Now, let’s learn some Spanish medical phrases for Doctors:
15. Abra los ojos.
Open your eyes.
16. Señale dónde le duele.
Point to where it hurts.
17. Respire lentamente.
Breath slowly.
18. Necesita hacer más ejercicio.
You need to exercise more.
19. Tiene que hacerse estos análisis.
You need to do these tests.
20. Volte la cabeza y tosa.
Turn your head and cough.
21. Levante la cabeza.
Lift your head.
22. Abra la boca.
Open your mouth.
23. Voy a examinar su nariz.
I’m going to examine your nose.
24. Voy a escuchar su corazón.
I’m going to listen to your heart.
25. Acuéstese por favor.
Please lie down.
26. Terminé la examinación.
I have finished the exam.
Spanish Medical Phrases for Nurses
Sometimes, nurses play a bigger role and have more communication with patients than doctors themselves.
These are some of the most common Spanish medical phrases for nurses:
27. Le voy a tomar su temperatura.
I’m going to take your temperature.
28. Es hora de tomar su medicina.
It’s time to take your medicine.
29. Por favor dígame si siente algún dolor.
Please let me know if you feel any pain.
30. Regreso en un momento.
I’ll be back in a moment.
31. Oprima el botón si necesita ayuda.
Use the call light if you need help.
Spanish Medical Phrases for Patients
It’s time to learn some useful Spanish medical phrases that you may need as a patient on your upcoming physical.
32. Hago ejercicio todos los días.
I exercise every day.
33. Me duele la espalda.
My back hurts.
To learn other parts of the body you can read Spanish Body Parts: Vocabulary and Idioms.
34. No me siento bien.
I don’t feel well.
35. Me zumban los oídos.
My ears are buzzing.
36. Quiero una segunda opinión.
I want to get a second opinion.
Questions & Answers
Finally, the most common way to communicate between doctors and patients during a physical check-up is through questions and answers.
The following are some of the most common ones:
37. ¿Toma algún medicamento?
Do you take any medication?
38. Sí/no tomo medicamento.
I do/don’t take any medication.
39. ¿Tiene sus resultados del laboratorio?
Do you have your lab results?
40. Aquí tengo mis resultados del laboratorio.
Here are my lab results.
41. ¿Cómo es su sueño?
How is your sleep?
42. Mi sueño es regular / irregular / liviano / pesado.
My sleep is regular / irregular / light /heavy.
43. ¿Cómo es su dieta?
What is your diet like?
44. Mi dieta consiste en…
My diet consists of…
45. ¿Siente algún dolor?
Do you feel any pain?
46 ¿Dónde le duele?
Where does it hurt?
47. ¿Tiene alguna pregunta?
Do you have any questions?
48. ¿Cada cuánto debo tomar este medicamento?
How often should I take this medication?
49. ¿Qué puedo cambiar para mejorar mi salud?
What can I change to improve my health?
50. ¿Me puede recomendar un especialista?
Can you recommend a specialist to me?
Now You’re Ready for Your Physical Check-up in Spanish!
Remember that you should take no risks with your health, so make sure that you can properly communicate with your doctor and nurse, and that you understand everything they’re saying to you.
Practice these medical Spanish terms and the different kinds of Spanish medical phrases, as well as the questions and answers, and you’ll be ready for your upcoming physical check-up.
Learning Spanish not only solves your communication issues when taking a physical in a Spanish-speaking country, it also makes it easier and more enjoyable your whole visit to that country. Being able to communicate with the locals, allows you to learn more about their culture and understand it better.
Sign up for a free class with one of our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. They teach more than 24,000 actively enrolled students every month, they offer flexible scheduling and tailored Spanish packages.
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