Head and Face

Start with the parts you can see in a mirror. These come up constantly in everyday conversation—from describing a headache to talking about a haircut.

Plurals to know: los ojos (eyes), las orejas (ears), los dientes (teeth). Spanish uses the definite article (la, el, los, las) with body parts far more often than English—you’ll see exactly why in the grammar section below.

Torso and Limbs

These terms are especially useful when describing pain or an injury. Learn the singular forms first, then the plurals will follow naturally.

Note: el dedo means both finger and toe. To be specific, say el dedo de la mano (finger, literally “finger of the hand”) or el dedo del pie (toe, literally “finger of the foot”). La mano is feminine despite ending in -o—a useful exception to memorize.

Internal Organs and Body Systems

You may need these when talking to a doctor or describing a more serious symptom. These five are the most commonly referenced in everyday health conversations.

Key Grammar: How to Say “Something Hurts” in Spanish

This is one of the most important grammar points in Spanish health vocabulary—and one of the most commonly misunderstood. The verb doler (to hurt/ache) works exactly like gustar (to like). Instead of saying “I hurt my head,” Spanish says “my head hurts me.”

The subject of the sentence is the body part, not the person. The person is an indirect object pronoun:

• me — me (to me / my)
• te — you (to you / your)
• le — him/her/you formal (to him/her)
• nos — us (to us / our)

Use duele (singular) when ONE thing hurts, and duelen (plural) when MULTIPLE things hurt.

The article rule: Notice that every example above uses la, el, los, las—the definite article—before the body part. This is standard in Spanish. You would not say me duele mi cabeza (my my-head). The possessive (mi, tu, su) is unnecessary because the indirect object pronoun (me, te, le) already makes clear whose body part it is.

Common mistake: English speakers often try to translate word-for-word: “I hurt my head” → Duelo mi cabeza — this is not natural Spanish. Stick to the me duele + article + body part pattern and you’ll sound correct right away.

Common Health Vocabulary

These words cover the most frequent health situations—from catching a cold to visiting a doctor and picking up a prescription.

Worth noting: la receta means both “prescription” and “recipe”—context makes it clear. El médico / la médica refers to a physician specifically; el doctor / la doctora is also widely used and is safe in any situation.

Useful Phrases for Feeling Ill

Three verb patterns cover most everyday conversations about health. Memorize these structures and you can adapt them to almost any symptom.

• Estar enfermo/enferma — to be sick: Estoy enfermo (I’m sick, masc.) / Estoy enferma (I’m sick, fem.)
• Tener + noun — to have [a symptom]: Tengo fiebre (I have a fever) · Tengo tos (I have a cough) · Tengo un resfriado (I have a cold)
• Sentirse mal / sentirse bien — to feel bad / feel well: Me siento mal (I feel bad) · Me siento bien (I feel well) · No me siento bien (I don’t feel well)

You can combine these naturally: Me siento mal—tengo fiebre y me duele la cabeza. (I feel bad—I have a fever and my head hurts.)

At the Pharmacy

Spanish-speaking pharmacies (farmacias) are often the first stop for minor illnesses—pharmacists can recommend over-the-counter treatments for common ailments. These phrases will help you get what you need.

Practice Prompts

Test yourself with these short exercises. Try to answer out loud before checking your response.

1. How do you say “My knee hurts”? (Hint: la rodilla is singular.) → Me duele la rodilla.
2. Your feet are hurting after a long walk. What do you say? → Me duelen los pies.
3. You have a fever and a cough. Tell someone: → Tengo fiebre y tengo tos.
4. You walk into a pharmacy and need something for a stomachache. What do you say? → Necesito algo para el dolor de estómago.
5. A doctor asks how you feel. You don’t feel well and your back hurts. → No me siento bien. Me duele la espalda.

For more complex emergencies—such as describing a serious accident or requesting urgent help—see our Emergency Phrases page, which covers those situations in detail.