Medical Spanish Phrases for Healthcare Workers
32 flashcards · Beginner · Language Learning
Teaches the Spanish phrases a nurse, medical assistant or front-desk worker uses to greet a patient, ask about pain, symptoms, allergies and medications, and give simple exam instructions. Latin American Spanish with usted, with Spain noted where it differs.
Best forNurses, medical assistants and front-desk staff in the US who see Spanish-speaking patients and want basic phrases for the visit.
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Buenos días, soy su enfermera.
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Greet and identify the patient
Good morning, I'm your nurse. A male nurse says soy su enfermero. Su is the polite usted form of your. After noon, say buenas tardes.
Buenos días, soy su enfermera.
Pronunciation
BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs, soy soo en-fehr-MEH-rah
What you'll learn
- How to greet a patient and confirm who they are, using usted
- How to ask about pain: where, how bad on a 1 to 10 scale, and since when
- The symptoms patients say most, like tengo fiebre and me falta el aire
- How to ask about allergies and medications
- Simple exam instructions like respire profundo and acuéstese
- When to stop and call a qualified interpreter
What's inside: all 32 cards
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Greet and identify the patient · 5
- Buenos días, soy su enfermera./ BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs, soy soo en-fehr-MEH-rah /
- Good morning, I'm your nurse. A male nurse says soy su enfermero. Su is the polite usted form of your. After noon, say buenas tardes.
- ¿Cómo se llama?/ KOH-moh seh YAH-mah /
- What is your name? The polite usted form, right for any adult patient.
- ¿Cuál es su fecha de nacimiento?/ kwahl ehs soo FEH-chah deh nah-see-MYEN-toh /
- What is your date of birth? Used to confirm you have the right patient. Patients usually answer day, then month, then year.
- ¿Necesita un intérprete?/ neh-seh-SEE-tah oon een-TEHR-preh-teh /
- Do you need an interpreter? Ask this early, before any clinical questions.
- Voy a llamar a un intérprete./ boy ah yah-MAHR ah oon een-TEHR-preh-teh /
- I'm going to call an interpreter. Use it when the conversation goes past basic questions.
Ask what brings them in · 3
- ¿Qué le pasa?/ keh leh PAH-sah /
- What's wrong? or What's the matter? The usual way to ask why a patient came in. You will also hear ¿Qué lo trae por aquí? (what brings you here?), with la for a woman.
- ¿Cómo se siente?/ KOH-moh seh SYEN-teh /
- How are you feeling? Polite usted form. Works at check-in and again later in the visit.
- Me siento mal./ meh SYEN-toh mahl /
- I feel sick or I don't feel well. What the patient says. Listen for what comes next, often a symptom with tengo or me duele.
Ask about pain · 6
- ¿Tiene dolor?/ TYEH-neh doh-LOHR /
- Are you in pain? Dolor means pain. Polite usted form.
- ¿Dónde le duele?/ DOHN-deh leh DWEH-leh /
- Where does it hurt? Patients may point, or answer with me duele plus a body part.
- Del uno al diez, ¿qué tan fuerte es el dolor?/ dehl OO-noh ahl dyehs, keh tahn FWEHR-teh ehs el doh-LOHR /
- From one to ten, how bad is the pain? Explain that one is a little pain and ten is the worst pain. Qué tan is Latin American. In Spain people ask ¿cuánto le duele?
- ¿Desde cuándo le duele?/ DEHS-deh KWAHN-doh leh DWEH-leh /
- Since when has it hurt? or How long has it hurt? Patients answer with desde plus a time, like desde ayer (since yesterday).
- Me duele aquí./ meh DWEH-leh ah-KEE /
- It hurts here. What the patient says, often while pointing. When you ask, use the full question ¿le duele aquí? (does it hurt here?), not just dolor aquí.
- Es un dolor punzante./ ehs oon doh-LOHR poon-SAHN-teh /
- It's a sharp, stabbing pain. What the patient says. You may also hear punzadas (stabbing pains) or me arde (it burns).
Symptoms patients describe · 5
- Tengo fiebre./ TEN-goh FYEH-breh /
- I have a fever. What the patient says. In Mexico many patients say tengo calentura for the same thing.
- Tengo náuseas./ TEN-goh NOW-seh-ahs /
- I feel nauseous. What the patient says. You may also hear tengo ganas de vomitar (I feel like throwing up).
- Estoy mareado./ ehs-TOY mah-reh-AH-doh /
- I feel dizzy. What the patient says. A woman says mareada. Some patients also use it for feeling queasy, so context matters. Ask a follow-up question.
- Me falta el aire./ meh FAHL-tah el AY-reh /
- I'm short of breath. What the patient says. You may also hear no puedo respirar bien (I can't breathe well).
- Me duele la cabeza./ meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-sah /
- I have a headache. Literally my head hurts. What the patient says. The same pattern works for any body part: me duele el estómago (my stomach hurts).
Allergies and medications · 4
- ¿Tiene alergia a algún medicamento?/ TYEH-neh ah-LEHR-hyah ah ahl-GOON meh-dee-kah-MEN-toh /
- Are you allergic to any medication? The same words for any patient, with no gender ending. ¿Es alérgico (or alérgica) a algún medicamento? also works. Medicamento and medicina are both common.
- ¿Toma algún medicamento?/ TOH-mah ahl-GOON meh-dee-kah-MEN-toh /
- Do you take any medication? Some patients do not count vitamins or home remedies (remedios caseros), so you can ask about those too.
- Tengo alergia a la penicilina./ TEN-goh ah-LEHR-hyah ah lah peh-nee-see-LEE-nah /
- I'm allergic to penicillin. What the patient says. Some say soy alérgico (or alérgica). The pattern tengo alergia a plus a name works for any allergy.
- No tomo ningún medicamento./ noh TOH-moh neen-GOON meh-dee-kah-MEN-toh /
- I don't take any medication. What the patient says. You may also hear no tomo nada (I don't take anything).
Exam instructions · 6
- ¿Me permite examinarlo?/ meh pehr-MEE-teh ek-sah-mee-NAHR-loh /
- May I examine you? Asks permission before you touch the patient. Say examinarla to a woman. In Mexico you will also hear revisarlo.
- Respire profundo./ rehs-PEE-reh proh-FOON-doh /
- Take a deep breath. Polite usted command. In Spain respire hondo is more common.
- Acuéstese, por favor./ ah-KWEHS-teh-seh, pohr fah-BOHR /
- Lie down, please. Polite usted command. Siéntese, por favor means sit down, please.
- Le voy a tomar la presión./ leh boy ah toh-MAHR lah preh-SYOHN /
- I'm going to take your blood pressure. Presión is used across Latin America. In Spain people say la tensión.
- Va a sentir un piquetito./ bah ah sen-TEER oon pee-keh-TEE-toh /
- You're going to feel a little prick. Said before a needle. Piquetito is the gentle Mexican form of piquete. Words vary by country, so you may also hear un pinchazo or un pinchacito.
- Quítese la ropa y póngase la bata./ KEE-teh-seh lah ROH-pah ee POHN-gah-seh lah BAH-tah /
- Take off your clothes and put on the gown. Polite usted commands. Bata is the hospital gown.
Wrap up and next steps · 3
- ¿Tiene alguna pregunta?/ TYEH-neh ahl-GOO-nah preh-GOON-tah /
- Do you have any questions? Ask before the patient leaves.
- El doctor viene en un momento./ el dohk-TOHR BYEH-neh en oon moh-MEN-toh /
- The doctor will be here in a moment. Say la doctora for a woman doctor.
- Que se mejore./ keh seh meh-HOH-reh /
- Get well soon. A warm, polite goodbye to a patient.
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