Spanish for Healthcare Workers: Essential Patient Phrases

Speaking even basic Spanish with patients builds trust and comfort. This guide covers essential phrases, but remember: for consent, diagnoses and complex information, a qualified medical interpreter remains the standard.

Greeting and introducing yourself

• Buenos días. Soy la enfermera Smith. — Good morning. I'm Nurse Smith.
• Voy a ayudarle hoy. — I'm going to help you today.
• ¿Cómo se llama? — What's your name?
• ¿Cuál es su fecha de nacimiento? — What's your date of birth?
• ¿Prefiere un intérprete? — Would you prefer an interpreter?

Symptoms

• ¿Qué le pasa? — What's wrong?
• ¿Dónde le duele? — Where does it hurt?
• ¿Desde cuándo? — Since when?
• ¿Tiene fiebre / náuseas / mareos? — Do you have fever / nausea / dizziness?
• ¿Le cuesta respirar? — Is it hard to breathe?

See Spanish at the doctor.

Pain scale

• Del uno al diez, ¿cuánto le duele? — From one to ten, how much does it hurt?
• ¿Es un dolor fuerte, leve o punzante? — Is it a strong, mild or stabbing pain?
• ¿El dolor va y viene? — Does the pain come and go?

History and medications

• ¿Es alérgico/a a algún medicamento?
• ¿Toma algún medicamento?
• ¿Tiene diabetes / presión alta? — Do you have diabetes / high blood pressure?
• ¿Está embarazada? — Are you pregnant?

Instructions

• Respire profundo. — Take a deep breath.
• Acuéstese aquí, por favor. — Lie down here, please.
• Voy a tomarle la presión. — I'm going to take your blood pressure.
• No coma nada después de medianoche. — Don't eat anything after midnight.
• Tome esta pastilla dos veces al día. — Take this pill twice a day.

Comfort and reassurance

• No se preocupe. — Don't worry.
• Estamos aquí para ayudarle. — We're here to help you.
• ¿Tiene alguna pregunta? — Do you have any questions?

Tips

• Use usted.
• Speak slowly and check understanding: ¿Me entiende?
• Use the teach-back method: ask patients to repeat instructions.
• Use interpreters for anything critical.

Practice

Lolo's "At the doctor" situation lets you hear and use symptom and advice phrases in context. Practicing the patient side helps you understand how patients describe problems. See learn Spanish for work.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use basic Spanish instead of an interpreter?

For greetings and simple tasks, yes. For consent and complex information, use a qualified interpreter.

How do I ask about pain in Spanish?

¿Dónde le duele? and Del uno al diez, ¿cuánto le duele?

Should I use tú or usted with patients?

Usted, as a sign of respect.