Spanish health words: 25 words for the doctor and pharmacy in Spain

🇪🇸 SpanishA2–B125 words

When you feel unwell, the right words matter. This list covers symptoms, the centro de salud, appointments, prescriptions and the farmacia, where pharmacists in Spain often give advice before you see a doctor.

Where you will use it: Doctors, health centres and pharmacies in Spain.

Spanish words for health and the pharmacy — The word list

Meanings and translations are in English.

Spanish	Meaning and example
el centro de salud	Primary healthcare centre.“Mi centro de salud está cerca.”My health centre is nearby.
el médico / la médica	Doctor.“La médica me ha escuchado con atención.”The doctor has listened to me carefully.
el enfermero / la enfermera	Nurse.“El enfermero me ha curado la herida.”The nurse has treated my wound.
el farmacéutico / la farmacéutica	Pharmacist.“Preguntad a la farmacéutica cómo tomarlo.”Ask the pharmacist how to take it.
la receta	Prescription.“Este medicamento se dispensa con receta.”This medicine is supplied on prescription.
el medicamento	Medicine; medication.“Guardad el medicamento fuera del alcance infantil.”Keep the medicine out of children's reach.
el prospecto	Patient information leaflet.“Lee el prospecto antes de tomarlo.”Read the leaflet before taking it.
la dosis	Dose.“Consulta la dosis con tu médica.”Check the dose with your doctor.
el comprimido	Tablet.“El comprimido viene en un envase pequeño.”The tablet comes in a small pack.
el jarabe	Syrup; liquid medicine.“El farmacéutico me ha explicado cómo tomar el jarabe.”The pharmacist has explained how to take the syrup.
la pomada	Ointment.“Esta pomada es para uso externo.”This ointment is for external use.
la tirita	Plaster; adhesive bandage.“Ponte una tirita en ese corte.”Put a plaster on that cut.
el termómetro	Thermometer.“¿Dónde habéis guardado el termómetro digital?”Where have you put the digital thermometer?
la fiebre	Fever; high temperature.“Hoy he tenido fiebre toda la mañana.”Today I've had a fever all morning.
la tos	Cough.“Esta tos no me deja dormir.”This cough won't let me sleep.
el resfriado	Cold; common cold.“Tengo un resfriado desde el lunes.”I've had a cold since Monday.
el dolor de garganta	Sore throat.“Tengo dolor de garganta al tragar.”My throat hurts when I swallow.
la alergia	Allergy.“Tengo alergia a algunos tipos de polen.”I'm allergic to some types of pollen.
el mareo	Dizziness.“El mareo ha empezado esta mañana.”The dizziness started this morning.
la herida	Wound; injury.“La herida necesita una limpieza cuidadosa.”The wound needs careful cleaning.
las urgencias	Emergency department.“Me han atendido en urgencias esta noche.”I've been treated in the emergency department tonight.
la consulta	Medical consultation; consulting room.“La consulta está en la primera planta.”The consulting room is on the first floor.
el análisis de sangre	Blood test.“Mañana tengo un análisis de sangre.”I have a blood test tomorrow.
el tratamiento	Treatment.“La médica me ha explicado el tratamiento.”The doctor has explained the treatment to me.
la baja médica	Certified sick leave.“Estoy de baja médica desde ayer.”I've been on certified sick leave since yesterday.

Tips for learning Spanish words

Learn the article with the nounWrite el billete or la cuenta, not just the noun: the article tells you the gender, and adjectives agree with it.
Say every example aloudSpanish is spelled almost exactly as it sounds. Play the audio, then read the example aloud — it trains your ear and your pronunciation at once.
Type the accentsIn WordNest a missing accent counts as a mistake. Typing está, mañana and también correctly from the start saves relearning them later.

Spanish as spoken in Spain

Spanish is spoken in more than twenty countries, and everyday words differ between them: a car is a coche in Spain and a carro in much of Latin America, a phone is a móvil rather than a celular. These lists follow Spain's usage — vosotros, coger el tren, el ordenador — and WordNest's examples, audio and AI corrections use the same standard. You will still be understood everywhere.

Add five or six of these words a day rather than the whole list at once, keep the example sentence on the card, and review them when they come due. WordNest schedules each word across seven growing intervals — same day, then 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days — so the list is still with you months later. Read how spaced repetition works if you want the reasoning behind those numbers.

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Questions about this list

Is this Spanish from Spain or Latin America?

Spanish as spoken in Spain. Where Latin America usually uses a different word, the list gives the Spain one — for example coche instead of carro — but every word is understood across the Spanish-speaking world.

How do I practise Spanish words for health and the pharmacy?

Start with five words, listen and say each example aloud. Then recall the Spanish word from its English meaning and review it over several days.

How many words are in this list?

This list contains 25 words and phrases with English meanings and example sentences. It is a starting set, not a complete course.

Study these words with spaced repetition

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