Table of Contents
41M+
Spanish speakers in US
13%
of US population
25%
fewer ER visits
40%
better compliance
Why Spanish Medical Terminology Matters
With over 41 million native Spanish speakers in the United States—13% of the population— Spanish medical terminology is no longer optional for healthcare providers. It's essential for delivering quality care.
Research shows that direct communication between bilingual providers and Spanish-speaking patients dramatically improves healthcare outcomes. Studies demonstrate:
Benefits of Spanish Communication
- • Improved patient satisfaction scores
- • Better medication compliance
- • Increased understanding of diagnoses
- • More effective health education
- • Fewer emergency room visits
- • Lower overall healthcare costs
Risks of Language Barriers
- • Misdiagnosis and treatment errors
- • Medication dosing mistakes
- • Missed allergies and contraindications
- • Poor adherence to treatment plans
- • Increased malpractice risk
- • Patient distrust and dissatisfaction
Essential Patient Communication
Greetings & Introduction
Buenos días/tardes/noches
Good morning/afternoon/evening
Soy su enfermera/doctor
I am your nurse/doctor
¿Cómo se siente hoy?
How are you feeling today?
Mucho gusto
Nice to meet you
¿Habla inglés?
Do you speak English?
Voy a ayudarle
I'm going to help you
Patient Information Gathering
¿Cuál es su nombre completo?
What is your full name?
¿Cuál es su fecha de nacimiento?
What is your date of birth?
¿Cuál es su dirección?
What is your address?
¿Cuál es su número de teléfono?
What is your phone number?
¿Tiene seguro médico?
Do you have health insurance?
¿Quién es su contacto de emergencia?
Who is your emergency contact?
¿Es alérgico a algún medicamento?
Are you allergic to any medication?
¿Qué medicamentos toma?
What medications do you take?
Pain Assessment
¿Dónde le duele?
Where does it hurt?
¿Cuándo comenzó el dolor?
When did the pain start?
En una escala del 1 al 10, ¿qué tan fuerte es el dolor?
On a scale of 1-10, how strong is the pain?
¿Es un dolor agudo o sordo?
Is it a sharp or dull pain?
¿El dolor es constante o va y viene?
Is the pain constant or does it come and go?
¿Qué alivia el dolor?
What relieves the pain?
Vital Signs & Measurements
| English | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure | Presión arterial | preh-see-OHN ar-teh-ree-AHL |
| Temperature | Temperatura | tem-peh-rah-TOO-rah |
| Heart rate / Pulse | Pulso / Frecuencia cardíaca | POOL-soh |
| Breathing rate | Frecuencia respiratoria | freh-KWEN-see-ah res-pee-rah-TOR-ee-ah |
| Oxygen saturation | Saturación de oxígeno | sah-too-rah-see-OHN deh ohk-SEE-heh-noh |
| Weight | Peso | PEH-soh |
| Height | Estatura / Altura | es-tah-TOO-rah |
| Blood sugar | Azúcar en la sangre / Glucosa | ah-SOO-kar en la SAHN-greh |
Common Vital Signs Phrases
"Voy a tomarle la presión" - I'm going to take your blood pressure
"Déjeme sentir su pulso" - Let me feel your pulse
"Abra la boca, por favor" - Open your mouth, please
"Suba a la báscula" - Step on the scale
"Respire profundo" - Take a deep breath
"Su presión está normal/alta/baja" - Your blood pressure is normal/high/low
Body Parts & Anatomy
1Head & Face
- Cabeza - Head
- Cara - Face
- Ojos - Eyes
- Oídos - Ears
- Nariz - Nose
- Boca - Mouth
- Dientes - Teeth
- Lengua - Tongue
- Garganta - Throat
- Cuello - Neck
2Torso & Organs
- Pecho - Chest
- Espalda - Back
- Abdomen/Vientre - Abdomen
- Corazón - Heart
- Pulmones - Lungs
- Estómago - Stomach
- Hígado - Liver
- Riñones - Kidneys
- Intestinos - Intestines
- Vejiga - Bladder
3Arms & Legs
- Brazo - Arm
- Codo - Elbow
- Muñeca - Wrist
- Mano - Hand
- Dedos - Fingers
- Pierna - Leg
- Rodilla - Knee
- Tobillo - Ankle
- Pie - Foot
- Dedos del pie - Toes
Symptoms & Conditions
Common Symptoms
Dolor - Pain
Fiebre - Fever
Tos - Cough
Náusea - Nausea
Vómito - Vomiting
Diarrea - Diarrhea
Estreñimiento - Constipation
Mareo - Dizziness
Fatiga - Fatigue
Debilidad - Weakness
Dolor de cabeza - Headache
Dolor de espalda - Back pain
Dificultad para respirar - Difficulty breathing
Hinchazón - Swelling
Common Conditions
Diabetes - Diabetes
Hipertensión - High blood pressure
Asma - Asthma
Artritis - Arthritis
Cáncer - Cancer
Infección - Infection
Alergia - Allergy
Embarazo - Pregnancy
Fractura - Fracture
Herida - Wound
Quemadura - Burn
Enfermedad del corazón - Heart disease
Derrame cerebral - Stroke
Neumonía - Pneumonia
Asking About Symptoms
"¿Tiene fiebre?" - Do you have a fever?
"¿Tiene tos?" - Do you have a cough?
"¿Tiene dificultad para respirar?" - Do you have difficulty breathing?
"¿Desde cuándo tiene estos síntomas?" - How long have you had these symptoms?
"¿Ha perdido peso?" - Have you lost weight?
"¿Tiene sangre en la orina?" - Do you have blood in your urine?
"¿Tiene dificultad para dormir?" - Do you have difficulty sleeping?
"¿Ha viajado recientemente?" - Have you traveled recently?
Medications & Instructions
Medication Types
- Pastilla / Píldora - Pill / Tablet
- Cápsula - Capsule
- Jarabe - Syrup
- Inyección - Injection
- Crema / Pomada - Cream / Ointment
- Gotas - Drops
- Inhalador - Inhaler
- Supositorio - Suppository
- Parche - Patch
- Antibiótico - Antibiotic
- Analgésico - Pain reliever
- Antiinflamatorio - Anti-inflammatory
Dosage Instructions
- Una vez al día - Once a day
- Dos veces al día - Twice a day
- Tres veces al día - Three times a day
- Cada 4/6/8 horas - Every 4/6/8 hours
- Con comida - With food
- Sin comida / En ayunas - Without food / On empty stomach
- Antes de dormir - Before bed
- Por la mañana - In the morning
- Según sea necesario - As needed
- Por 7/10/14 días - For 7/10/14 days
- Termine todo el medicamento - Finish all the medication
- No mezcle con alcohol - Do not mix with alcohol
Medication Communication Phrases
"Tome este medicamento..." - Take this medication...
"Es hora de tomar su medicina" - It's time to take your medicine
"¿Está tomando otros medicamentos?" - Are you taking other medications?
"Si tiene alguna reacción, llame al médico" - If you have any reaction, call the doctor
"¿Necesita una receta?" - Do you need a prescription?
"Puede comprar esto sin receta" - You can buy this without a prescription
Common Procedures
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Blood test | Análisis de sangre / Examen de sangre |
| Urine test | Análisis de orina |
| X-ray | Radiografía |
| CT scan | Tomografía computarizada |
| MRI | Resonancia magnética |
| Ultrasound | Ultrasonido / Ecografía |
| EKG / ECG | Electrocardiograma |
| IV (intravenous) | Suero / Intravenosa |
| Surgery | Cirugía / Operación |
| Biopsy | Biopsia |
| Physical therapy | Terapia física / Fisioterapia |
| Vaccination | Vacuna |
Procedure Communication
"Necesitamos hacerle una prueba de sangre" - We need to do a blood test
"Le vamos a poner un suero" - We're going to give you an IV
"No se mueva, por favor" - Don't move, please
"Esto puede doler un poco" - This may hurt a little
"Ya casi terminamos" - We're almost done
"Relájese" - Relax
Emergency Phrases
Critical Emergency Phrases
¿Puede oírme?
Can you hear me?
¿Puede respirar?
Can you breathe?
¿Tiene dolor en el pecho?
Do you have chest pain?
Llame al 911
Call 911
Quédese quieto/a
Stay still
La ambulancia viene en camino
The ambulance is on the way
Es una emergencia
It's an emergency
Necesitamos operarlo/a de urgencia
We need to operate on you urgently
Learning Resources
Online Courses
Canopy Medical Spanish
Healthcare-specific Spanish courses with CME credits
SpanishVIP
Medical Spanish vocabulary and conversation practice
Duolingo + Medical Vocabulary
Free basics plus specialized medical terms
Reference Materials
Medical Spanish Pocket Guides
Quick reference cards for clinical settings
SpanishDict Medical Section
Free online dictionary with audio pronunciation
Hospital Language Programs
Many hospitals offer free Spanish training for staff
When to Use an Interpreter
While basic Spanish is helpful for building rapport, always use a certified medical interpreter for:
- • Informed consent discussions
- • Complex diagnoses and treatment plans
- • Medication instructions with critical details
- • End-of-life care decisions
- • Psychiatric evaluations
- • Any situation where you're not 100% confident
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Spanish medical terminology important for healthcare providers?
With over 41 million native Spanish speakers in the United States (13% of the population), Spanish medical terminology is essential for effective patient communication. Studies show that direct communication with Spanish-speaking patients improves healthcare quality, patient satisfaction, medication compliance, and reduces emergency room visits. Language barriers can lead to misdiagnosis, medication errors, and poor patient outcomes.
What are the most important Spanish medical phrases to learn first?
Start with essential phrases for patient intake: "¿Cuál es su nombre?" (What is your name?), "¿Dónde le duele?" (Where does it hurt?), "¿Es alérgico a algún medicamento?" (Are you allergic to any medication?), "¿Qué medicamentos toma?" (What medications do you take?), and "¿Entiende?" (Do you understand?). These cover the most common patient interactions.
How do you ask about pain in Spanish?
Key pain assessment phrases include: "¿Dónde le duele?" (Where does it hurt?), "¿Cómo es el dolor?" (What is the pain like?), "En una escala del 1 al 10, ¿qué tan fuerte es el dolor?" (On a scale of 1 to 10, how strong is the pain?), "¿Es un dolor agudo o sordo?" (Is it a sharp or dull pain?), and "¿Cuándo comenzó el dolor?" (When did the pain start?).
Should I use a medical interpreter or speak Spanish directly?
Use a certified medical interpreter for complex medical discussions, informed consent, and when you're not confident in your Spanish proficiency. For basic interactions (vital signs, simple instructions), conversational Spanish can help build rapport. Always prioritize patient understanding and safety—when in doubt, use an interpreter.
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