How do I describe pain to a Spanish-speaking doctor?

Use Me duele + el/la + body part: Me duele la cabeza (headache), Me duele el estómago (stomachache). For more than one body part use Me duelen (plural), e.g. Me duelen los pies. If unsure, say Me duele aquí and point.

Do I use tú or usted with a doctor in Spanish?

Use the formal usted with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. You'll hear usted forms back, like ¿Qué le pasa? ("what's wrong?") and Tómese esto ("take this").

How can I practice a medical conversation in Spanish?

Symptoms are hard to retrieve under stress, so rehearse them out loud in a full exchange. Renza lets you practice the doctor's-visit scenario in Spanish and gives feedback on accuracy and fluency.

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Spanish·A doctor's visit

How to Talk to a Doctor in Spanish: Symptoms & Phrases

Explaining what's wrong is one conversation you really don't want to improvise. Here are the Spanish phrases to describe symptoms, the questions a doctor or pharmacist will ask, and the vocabulary to understand the treatment.

Usted with medical staff

Use the formal usted with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists — ¿Necesito…?, and you'll hear ¿Qué le pasa?, Tómese… In many Spanish-speaking countries the pharmacy (farmacia) is the first stop for minor issues.

Describing symptoms

Me duele la cabeza.

meh DWEH-leh lah kah-BEH-sah

I have a headache.

Me duele el estómago.

meh DWEH-leh el es-TOH-mah-goh

My stomach hurts.

Tengo fiebre.

TEN-goh FYEH-breh

I have a fever.

Me duele la garganta.

meh DWEH-leh lah gar-GAN-tah

I have a sore throat.

Giving details

Desde ayer.

DES-deh ah-YER

Since yesterday.

Creo que tengo gripe.

KREH-oh keh TEN-goh GREE-peh

I think I have the flu.

Soy alérgico a la penicilina.

soy ah-LER-hee-koh ah lah peh-nee-see-LEE-nah

I'm allergic to penicillin.

alérgica if you're female.

¿Necesito receta?

neh-seh-SEE-toh reh-SEH-tah

Do I need a prescription?

What you'll hear

¿Qué le pasa?

keh leh PAH-sah

What's wrong? (they ask)

¿Tiene seguro médico?

TYEH-neh seh-GOO-roh MEH-dee-koh

Do you have health insurance? (they ask)

Tómese esto dos veces al día.

TOH-meh-seh ES-toh dos BEH-ses al DEE-ah

Take this twice a day. (they say)

Que se mejore.

keh seh meh-HOH-reh

Get well soon. (they say)

Tips to sound natural

The core pattern is Me duele + el/la + body part — "my … hurts." For plurals: Me duelen los pies.
If you can't name it, say Me duele aquí ("it hurts here") and point.
Match the adjective to your gender: alérgico (m) / alérgica (f).
For minor issues, the farmacia can often advise and sell remedies without a doctor's visit.

Now practice it out loud

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