En el consultorio médico
At the doctor's office · a free Spanish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Buenos días, tengo una cita con el doctor García a las diez.
Good morning, I have an appointment with Doctor García at ten.
Literal Good days, I have a meeting with the doctor García at the ten.
A standard way to check in at a medical reception desk, giving your doctor's name and appointment time.
- 'tengo' is first-person singular present of 'tener' (to have)
- 'a las diez' uses the feminine article 'las' before clock hours
Me duele la garganta desde hace tres días.
My throat has been hurting for three days.
Literal To me hurts the throat since it makes three days.
'Duele' works like 'gustar': the body part is the subject and the pronoun shows who feels the pain. 'Desde hace' expresses ongoing duration.
- 'me duele' = it hurts me; 'la garganta' is the grammatical subject
- 'desde hace tres días' = for the past three days (still ongoing)
También tengo fiebre y me siento muy cansado.
I also have a fever and I feel very tired.
Literal Also I have fever and myself I feel very tired.
Listing multiple symptoms with 'también' (also) and 'y' (and). 'Sentirse' is a reflexive verb describing how one feels.
- 'tengo fiebre' = I have a fever (no article needed in Spanish)
- 'me siento' is the reflexive form of 'sentirse' (to feel)
¿Puede describir el dolor con más detalle?
Can you describe the pain in more detail?
Literal Can you describe the pain with more detail?
A doctor's polite request to elaborate on the patient's pain. '¿Puede + infinitive?' is a formal and courteous construction.
- '¿Puede + infinitive?' = Can you...? (polite/formal register)
- 'con más detalle' = in more detail (prepositional phrase)
El dolor es constante y empeora por la noche.
The pain is constant and gets worse at night.
Literal The pain is constant and worsens by the night.
Describing the quality and timing of pain in present tense. 'Empeorar' means to worsen or get worse.
- 'empeora' is present tense third-person singular of 'empeorar'
- 'por la noche' = at night (a standard time-of-day expression)
Respire profundamente y abra la boca, por favor.
Breathe deeply and open your mouth, please.
Literal Breathe deeply and open the mouth, please.
Doctor's examination commands using the formal (usted) imperative. These polite directives are very common in medical settings.
- 'respire' and 'abra' are formal usted imperatives of 'respirar' and 'abrir'
- 'profundamente' is an adverb: adjective 'profundo' + the suffix -mente
Tiene una infección en la garganta; le voy a recetar un antibiótico.
You have an infection in your throat; I am going to prescribe you an antibiotic.
Literal You have an infection in the throat; to you I go to prescribe an antibiotic.
'Voy a + infinitive' expresses a near-future action. 'Le' is an indirect object pronoun (to you, formal) indicating who receives the prescription.
- 'voy a recetar' = I'm going to prescribe (ir + a + infinitive)
- 'le' is the indirect object pronoun for usted (formal second person)
¿Cada cuánto tiempo debo tomar este medicamento?
How often should I take this medication?
Literal Each how much time must I take this medication?
'Cada cuánto tiempo' is the natural way to ask about frequency. 'Debo + infinitive' expresses personal obligation or necessity.
- '¿Cada cuánto tiempo?' = How often? (asking about frequency)
- 'debo tomar' = I must/should take (deber + infinitive)
Debe tomarlo dos veces al día durante una semana.
You should take it twice a day for a week.
Literal You must take-it two times per day during a week.
Dosage instructions from the doctor. 'Tomarlo' attaches the direct object pronoun 'lo' (it) directly to the infinitive 'tomar'.
- 'tomarlo' = tomar + lo; direct object pronoun attached to the infinitive
- 'dos veces al día' = twice a day; 'al' is a contraction of 'a + el'
Si los síntomas no mejoran en tres días, vuelva a consultarme.
If your symptoms don't improve in three days, come back to see me.
Literal If the symptoms don't improve in three days, return to consult me.
A conditional follow-up instruction. 'Vuelva' is the formal imperative of 'volver'. 'Consultarme' combines the verb with the pronoun 'me'.
- 'si + present tense, imperative' = conditional instruction structure
- 'vuelva a + infinitive' = come back to do something (formal imperative)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
la garganta
the throat
Me duele la garganta.
My throat hurts.
Essential body-part word for describing common illnesses
la fiebre
the fever
Tengo fiebre desde ayer.
I have had a fever since yesterday.
Used without an article in 'tener fiebre', treating it as a state
el dolor
the pain
El dolor empeora por la noche.
The pain gets worse at night.
el medicamento
the medication
¿Cuándo debo tomar el medicamento?
When should I take the medication?
el antibiótico
the antibiotic
El médico me recetó un antibiótico.
The doctor prescribed me an antibiotic.
la infección
the infection
Tiene una infección en la garganta.
You have an infection in your throat.
el síntoma
the symptom
Si los síntomas no mejoran, llame al médico.
If the symptoms don't improve, call the doctor.
Ends in -a but is masculine: el síntoma (a common exception)
recetar
to prescribe
El doctor me va a recetar algo para el dolor.
The doctor is going to prescribe me something for the pain.
mejorar
to improve / to get better
Espero mejorar pronto.
I hope to get better soon.
el consultorio
the doctor's office / clinic
Fui al consultorio esta mañana.
I went to the doctor's office this morning.
More specific than 'hospital'; refers to a private practice or clinic room
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Elena entró al consultorio nerviosa. Le dijo al médico que le dolía la garganta y que tenía fiebre desde hacía dos días. El doctor la examinó con cuidado, le pidió que respirara profundamente y abriera la boca, y después le recetó un antibiótico. Elena salió más tranquila, con la receta en la mano y la esperanza de mejorar pronto.
Sentence by sentence
Elena entró al consultorio nerviosa.
Elena entered the doctor's office nervously.
'Entró' is the preterite of 'entrar'. 'Al' is a mandatory contraction of 'a + el' before masculine nouns.
le dolía la garganta y tenía fiebre desde hacía dos días
her throat hurt and she had had a fever for two days
'Dolía' and 'tenía' are imperfect tense, showing ongoing past states. 'Desde hacía' expresses duration in the past.
le pidió que respirara profundamente y abriera la boca
asked her to breathe deeply and open her mouth
'Pidió que + subjunctive' reports a request. 'Respirara' and 'abriera' are imperfect subjunctive forms triggered by 'pedir'.
le recetó un antibiótico
prescribed her an antibiotic
'Le' is an indirect object pronoun (to her). 'Recetó' is the preterite of 'recetar', marking a completed action.
con la esperanza de mejorar pronto
hopeful about getting better soon
'Con la esperanza de + infinitive' = hopeful about doing something. A natural expressive phrase in everyday Spanish.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Duele / Duelen — Expressing Pain
'Doler' works like 'gustar': the body part is the grammatical subject, and an indirect object pronoun shows who feels the pain. Use 'duele' for one body part and 'duelen' for two or more.
(indirect object pronoun) + duele/duelen + (body part)
Me duele la cabeza.
My head hurts. (I have a headache.)
Le duelen los pies.
Their feet hurt.
¿Te duele el estómago?
Does your stomach hurt?
Nos duelen los oídos.
Our ears hurt.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Spanish: 'I have a sore throat'
Hint Use the 'me duele' structure to express pain
Complete the sentence: 'También tengo _____ y me siento muy cansado.'
Hint It's a symptom mentioned at the beginning of the conversation
Translate to English: 'Debe tomarlo dos veces al día durante una semana.'
Hint Focus on 'dos veces' which means 'twice'
Choose the correct way to say 'My throat hurts' in Spanish:
Rewrite using the 'me duele' structure: 'Tengo una infección en los oídos' (I have an ear infection)
Hint Use 'duelen' when referring to multiple body parts
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