PHRASE GUIDE

Medical Spanish phrases for nurses and doctors

Q: Should I use usted or tú with patients?

Use usted, the polite form, with adult patients unless they invite you to use tú. The phrases on this page use usted.

More than 80 short, practical medical phrases in Spanish for clinical work, with audio you can play. Greetings, pain, urgent symptoms, history, exam instructions and more.

By the BedsideLingo team. Last updated November 8, 2026.

Before you start

These phrases help with greetings, simple questions and instructions.
For consent, diagnoses, difficult news or anything high-stakes, use a qualified medical interpreter.
Draft translation, still in native-speaker review. Some wording may change.

5 tips for using these phrases

Use the polite form. In Spanish, usted is the polite “you.” It is the safer choice with adult patients, and the phrases on this page are written to match (for example, “¿Dónde le duele?”).
Say vowels short and clean. Spanish has five vowel sounds: a, e, i, o, u. Say each one the same way every time, without sliding into a second sound the way English does.
Watch the silent h and the j. The letter h is silent. The letter j sounds like an English h, so ojo (eye) sounds like “OH-hoh.”
Follow the accent marks. An accent mark shows which syllable to stress, as in médico and tomografía.
Listen first, then copy. Play each recording, say the phrase out loud, then play it again. Copying real audio beats reading.

These phrases are in Latin American Spanish. Spanish varies from country to country, and some medical words differ by region, so confirm a word with the patient if they look puzzled.

Greetings and courtesy

Start every visit with a greeting. A few polite words go a long way.

English	Spanish	Audio
Hello.	Hola.
Please.	Por favor.
Thank you.	Gracias.
You're welcome.	De nada.
I'm sorry.	Lo siento.
One moment.	Un momento.
Here you go.	Aquí tiene.

Introducing yourself and checking language

Introduce yourself, ask the patient’s name, and find out which language they prefer. Offer an interpreter whenever you can.

English	Spanish	Audio
I'm your doctor.	Soy su médico.
What is your name?	¿Cómo se llama?
Who is here with you?	¿Quién le acompaña?
Which language do you prefer?	¿Qué idioma prefiere?
Can we call someone to interpret?	¿Podemos llamar a alguien para interpretar?
Show me.	Muéstreme.
Repeat that.	¿Puede repetirlo?

Where it hurts and how long

Short questions about pain and timing. Ask the patient to point if words fail.

English	Spanish	Audio
What brought you here today?	¿Qué le trae hoy?
Where does it hurt?	¿Dónde le duele?
Point with your finger to where it hurts.	Señale con el dedo dónde le duele.
Did it start suddenly?	¿Empezó de repente?
Better or worse?	¿Mejor o peor?
Does the pain go anywhere else?	¿El dolor se extiende a otro lugar?
Rate your pain: zero to ten.	Califique su dolor de cero a diez.

Urgent questions

Quick yes-or-no questions for red-flag symptoms. If the answer is yes, get help and an interpreter right away.

English	Spanish	Audio
Trouble breathing?	¿Le cuesta respirar?
Chest pain?	¿Dolor en el pecho?
Did you faint?	¿Se desmayó?
Do you feel weak on one side?	¿Siente debilidad en un lado?
Are you having trouble speaking?	¿Le cuesta hablar?
Has your vision changed?	¿Ha cambiado su visión?
Severe headache?	¿Dolor de cabeza intenso?
Fever?	¿Fiebre?
Vomiting?	¿Vómitos?
Any bleeding?	¿Algún sangrado?
Did you hit your head?	¿Se golpeó la cabeza?
Coughing up blood?	¿Tose con sangre?
Do you feel safe at home?	¿Se siente a salvo en casa?
Are you thinking of hurting yourself?	¿Piensa en hacerse daño?

History: allergies, medications and more

Key history questions. Ask the patient to show you their medications.

English	Spanish	Audio
Any allergies?	¿Alguna alergia?
Show me your medications.	Muéstreme sus medicamentos.
Do you take blood thinners?	¿Toma medicamentos para diluir la sangre?
What medical conditions do you have?	¿Qué problemas de salud tiene?
Are you pregnant?	¿Está embarazada?
When did you last eat or drink?	¿Cuándo comió o bebió por última vez?
Have you taken alcohol or drugs?	¿Ha consumido alcohol o drogas?
Do you smoke?	¿Fuma?
Have you fallen recently?	¿Se ha caído recientemente?
Have you missed any medication doses?	¿Ha omitido alguna dosis de sus medicamentos?

Common symptoms

English	Spanish	Audio
Any cough?	¿Tos?
Feeling dizzy?	¿Mareos?
Trouble swallowing?	¿Le cuesta tragar?
Any numbness?	¿Tiene alguna zona adormecida?
Any rash?	¿Tiene sarpullido?
Ear pain?	¿Dolor de oído?
Feeling unusually tired?	¿Siente más cansancio de lo habitual?
Any joint pain?	¿Dolor en las articulaciones?

Examining the patient

Always ask permission before you examine or touch a patient, then give short, clear instructions.

English	Spanish	Audio
May I examine you?	¿Puedo examinarle?
May I touch here?	¿Puedo tocar aquí?
Comfortable?	¿Está a gusto?
May I examine your abdomen?	¿Puedo examinarle el abdomen?
May I listen to your chest?	¿Puedo escucharle el pecho?
Sit up.	Incorpórese.
Lie down.	Acuéstese.
Stand up.	Póngase de pie.
Stay still.	No se mueva.
Turn onto your side.	Póngase de lado.
Open your mouth.	Abra la boca.
Take a deep breath.	Respire hondo.
Squeeze my fingers.	Apriete mis dedos.
Lift both arms.	Levante ambos brazos.
Smile.	Sonría.

Tests and treatment

Say what you are about to do before you do it.

English	Spanish	Audio
We'll take a blood sample.	Vamos a tomar una muestra de sangre.
I'll give you medicine for pain.	Le daré un medicamento para el dolor.
You'll get fluids through an IV.	Le daremos líquidos por una vía intravenosa.
I'll order an ultrasound.	Voy a pedir una ecografía.
I'll order a CT scan.	Voy a pedir una tomografía computarizada.
We'll do an ECG.	Haremos un electrocardiograma.
I'll change your dressing.	Le cambiaré el vendaje.

Reassurance and next steps

Plain statements that help a worried patient feel looked after.

English	Spanish	Audio
I will explain before we start.	Le explicaré antes de empezar.
We will help you.	Vamos a ayudarle.
Tell us if you feel worse.	Avísenos si se siente peor.
Everything looks good.	Todo parece estar bien.
You'll stay in hospital for now.	Por ahora, se quedará en el hospital.
You may need surgery.	Quizás necesite una operación.
You need stitches.	Necesita puntos de sutura.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I use usted or tú with patients?

Use usted, the polite form, with adult patients unless they invite you to use tú. The phrases on this page use usted.

Is this Spain Spanish or Latin American Spanish?

These phrases are in Latin American Spanish. Medical vocabulary can differ between countries, so check with the patient if a word does not seem to land.

Can I rely on these phrases instead of an interpreter?

No. Phrases help with greetings, simple questions and instructions. For consent, diagnoses, difficult news or any high-stakes conversation, use a qualified medical interpreter.

What if the patient answers in a way I do not understand?

Stay calm, repeat the question slowly, use gestures, and call an interpreter. Learning questions is much easier than understanding fast answers, and that is normal.

How can I learn these quickly?

Pick the phrases you will actually use in your own work, practise a few each day, and listen to the recordings. The BedsideLingo app brings each phrase back for review just before you would forget it.