Connecting Words for Clinical Conversations in Spanish
When you’re learning another language it’s often times the little words that you feel like you’re missing and that keep you from being able to communicate like a well educated human :). You’re usually so focused on the big idea and the main point of what you’re trying to say, but as soon as you start talking you realize that there are tons of little words that you need to fill in the gaps in your communication.
I had a super-small class of beginning level students recently, so I took notes during our conversational activities with the explicit purpose of sharing all the little connecting words the help complete your thoughts. Enjoy!
Spanish > English Connecting Words
A: to El paciente va a la clínica | The patient goes to the clinic
Antes de: before Favor de tomar la medicina antes de comer | Please take the medicine before eating
Aquel: that over there Aquel cuarto está disponible | That room over there is available
A veces: sometimes A veces tengo dolor de pecho | I sometimes have chest pain
Bien: well ¿Cómo está usted? Yo estoy bien, gracias | How are you? I’m well, thank you
Bueno: good Su nivel de células blancas es bueno | Your white blood cell level is good.
Casi: almost Estamos casi listos | We’re almost ready.
Como: how, what ¿Cómo se llama? | What is your name?
Con: with Necesita tomar este medicamento con comidas | You need to take this medicine with food
Contra: against Esta vacuna es contra la gripe | This immunization is against* the flu (we often use “for” in English, but it’s “against” in Spanish.
Cuando: when ¿Cuándo tiene dolor? | When do you have pain?
Cuanto(s): how much (many) ¿Cuántas veces ha vomitado? | How many times have you vomited?
De: from, of Yo soy de Colorado | I’m from Colorado
Después de: after ¿Le duele después de comer? | Does it hurt after eating?
Dónde: where ¿Dónde le duele? | Where does it hurt?
Durante: during ¿Con qué frecuencia duerme durante el día? | How often do you sleep during the day?
En: in, at, on ¿El paciente está en radiografía | The patient is in radiology
En vez de: instead of Es mejor usar aceite de oliva en vez de manteca | It’s better to use olive oil instead of lard
Ese: that Ese medicamento es para la nausea | That medicine is for nausea
Es posible: it’s possible No es posible operar, necesitamos esperar | It’s not possible to operate, we need to wait
Es probable: it’s probable, likely Es probable que tenga un virus | It’s probable (likely) that you have a virus
Este: this Este medicamento es para el dolor | This medicine is for the pain
Hacia: toward Muévase hacia mi por favor | Move yourself (scoot) toward me please
Hay: there is, there are Hay un problema con su apéndice, está inflamado | There is a problem with your appendix, it’s inflamed
Hasta: until Hasta luego! | Until later!
Mal: not well, ill ¿Cómo está? Estoy mal | How are you? I’m not well
Malo: bad Es malo tomar los medicamentos de otra persona | It’s bad to take someone else’s medications
Más: more Una vez más por favor | One more time please
Menos: less, fewer ¿Tiene menos dolor ahora? | Do you have less pain now?
Mientras: while Mientras toma este medicamento, es importante tener cuidado con el sol | While taking this medication, it’s important to be careful with the sun
Mucho(s): much (many) Hay muchos diferentes tipos de viruses | There are many different types of viruses
Muy: very Estoy muy mal, tengo mucho dolor | I’m very bad, I have a lot of pain
Nunca: never Nunca es buena idea usar drogas ilegales | It’s never a good idea to use illegal drugs
O: or ¿Prefiere llamar a la clínica o volver para los resultados? | Do you prefer to call the clinic or return for your results?
Otros: other, another ¿Está bien o prefiere otra almohada? | Are you ok or do you prefer another pillow?
Para: Super tricky! “for” a person, “for/by” a future time, in order, “for” a purpose
- Esto es para usted | This is for you
- Necesitamos hacerle una radiografia para ver si el hueso está roto | We need to do an xray to see if the bone is broken
- Los resultados van a estar listos para mañana | The results will be ready by tomorrow
- La escayola es para inmovilizar el hueso | The cast is to immobilize the bone
Poco: few, little Hay poco que podemos hacer aparte de ayudarle a estar cómodo |
Por: Super tricky! Pray “for”, Pay “for”, thank “for”, by, in, through
- Gracias por su ayuda | Thank you for your help
- La mamá ora por su hijo | The mom prays for her son
- Usted puede pagar por su visita en la recepción | You can pay for your visit at the reception
- Vamos a darle antibióticos por suero | We’re going to give him antibiotics by IV
Por ejemplo: for example Hay que hacer ejercicio regular, por ejemplo caminar 5 veces por semana | You have to do regular exercise, for example walk 5 times a week
¿Por que?: Why? ¿Por qué no necesita un antibiótico? | Why doesn’t he need an antibiotic?
Porque: because No necesita un antibiótico porque es una infección viral | He doesn’t need an antibiotic because it’s a viral infection
Posiblemente: possibly Posiblemente le podemos dar el alta mañana | We can possibly discharge you tomorrow
Probablemente: probably El doctor probablemente quiere ingresarlo para poder observarlo | The doctor probably wants to admit you in order to observe you
Que: that, what ¿Qué le pasa hoy? | What is the matter today?
Sin: without Tener relaciones íntimas sin usar protección es mala idea | Having “sex” without using protection is a bad idea
Sobre: about, over Me gustaría hablar sobre su dieta | I’d like to speak about your diet
También: also, too Tengo hambre. Yo también | I’m hungry. Me too
Tampoco: neither No tengo hambre. Yo tampoco | I’m not hungry. Me neither
Veces: times Tome esta pastilla 2 veces al día | Take this pill 2 times a day
Y: and Necesitamos una muestra de sangre y una muestra de orina | We need a blood sample and a urine sample
Now here is the same list of medical Spanish connecting words, but ordered from English > Spanish
English |
Spanish |
|---|---|
| About, over | Sobre |
| After | Después de |
| Against | Contra |
| Almost | Casi |
| Also | También |
| And | Y |
| Bad | Malo |
| Because | Porque |
| Before | Antes de |
| During | Durante |
| Few, little | Poco |
| For example | Por ejemplo |
| From, of | De |
| Good | Bueno |
| How, what | Como |
| How much (many) | Cuanto(s) |
| In, at, on | En |
| Instead of | En vez de |
| It’s possible | Es posible |
| It’s probable, likely | Es probable |
| Less, fewer | Menos |
| More | Más |
| Much (many) | Mucho(s) |
| Neither | Tampoco |
| Never | Nunca |
| Not well, ill | Mal |
| Or | O |
| Other, another | Otros |
| Possibly | Posiblemente |
| Probably | Probablemente |
| Sometimes | A veces |
| Super tricky! Pray “for”, Pay “for”, thank “for”, by, in, through | Por |
| Super tricky! “for” a person, “for” a future time, in order, “for” a purpose | Para |
| That, what | Que |
| That | Ese |
| That over there | Aquel |
| This | Este |
| Times | Veces |
| To | A |
| Toward | Hacia |
| Until | Hasta |
| Very | Muy |
| Well | Bien |
| When | Cuando |
| Where | Dónde |
| While | Mientras |
| Why? | ¿Por que? |
| With | Con |
| Without | Sin |
Now it’s your turn! I packaged all of this vocabulary in Spanish into some flashcards for you to study.
I packaged all of this into easily downloadable .pdf notes– Get your copy for free today!
Keep up the good work speaking responsible Spanish to your patients! Check out our other books, classes & products to help you !
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