Being able to describe and understand common symptoms in Spanish is one of the most essential skills for healthcare professionals and Spanish learners alike. Whether you’re taking a patient history or traveling in a Spanish-speaking country, knowing how to talk about symptoms clearly can make a big difference.
In this post, you’ll learn:
- Key symptoms vocabulary in Spanish
- How to ask about symptoms
- How patients might describe how they feel
- Useful sentence structures you can apply to many situations
How to Talk About Symptoms in Spanish
A very common structure in Spanish is:
- Tengo + symptom (I have…)
- Me siento + symptom (I feel…)
Examples:
- Tengo dolor de cabeza – I have a headache
- Me siento mareado – I feel dizzy
Another useful structure:
- Me duele / me duelen… (It hurts…)
- Me duele la cabeza – My head hurts
- Me duelen los músculos – My muscles hurt
Common Symptoms in Spanish (With Translations)
Here are some of the most important symptoms to know:
- Diarrea – diarrhea
- Dolor de cabeza – headache
- Dolor de garganta – sore throat
- Dolor de pecho – chest pain
- Dolores musculares – muscle aches
- Falta de aire – shortness of breath
- Fatiga / cansancio – fatigue / tiredness
- Fiebre – fever
- Mareo – dizziness
- Náusea(s) – nausea
- Tos – cough
- Vómito – vomiting
How to Ask About Symptoms
These are essential questions for patient interactions:
- ¿Qué síntomas tiene?
What symptoms do you have? - ¿Cuándo empezó?
When did it start? - ¿Tiene fiebre o tos?
Do you have a fever or cough? - ¿Ha tenido náuseas o vómitos?
Have you had nausea or vomiting? - ¿Le falta el aire?
Are you short of breath? - ¿Dónde le duele?
Where does it hurt?
How Patients Might Describe Their Symptoms
Patients may use different structures to explain how they feel:
Using “tener”
- Tengo fiebre desde ayer
I’ve had a fever since yesterday - Tengo diarrea
I have diarrhea
Using “me duele / me duelen”
- Me duele la garganta
My throat hurts - Me duelen los músculos
My muscles hurt
Using “siento” or “me siento”
- Siento cansancio – Me siento cansado
I feel tired - Siento mareo – Me siento mareado
I feel dizzy
Pro Tip: Singular vs. Plural with Pain
- Me duele (singular) → one thing hurts
- Me duele el pecho
- Me duelen (plural) → multiple things hurt
- Me duelen los músculos
This is a very common and important grammar pattern in Medical Spanish.
Putting It All Together
Here’s a simple example of a patient interaction:
- Doctor: ¿Qué síntomas tiene?
- Paciente: Tengo fiebre, tos y dolor de garganta.
- Doctor: ¿Cuándo empezó?
- Paciente: Hace dos días.
Learning how to talk about common symptoms in Spanish is one of the fastest ways to build confidence in real-life conversations—especially in healthcare settings.
Focus on:
- Practicing key vocabulary
- Using simple sentence structures
- Listening to how patients describe symptoms
