To talk about the body in Spanish, very concrete words are used to point out each part. The most general ones are cabeza, cuerpo, brazo, mano, pierna and pie. In a medical consultation, in a physical description, or when talking about exercise, these words appear all the time. They also help to understand vocabulary of Síntomas y Lesiones and Apariencia Física.

The upper part of the body gathers many common words. The cabeza includes the frente, the cara and the cuello. On the face are the ojo, the oreja, the nariz, the boca, the diente, the lengua, the mejilla and the barbilla. To describe a person, these words appear together with eye color, nose shape or mouth size, so they are also useful in Apariencia Física.

ojodientelenguabarbillaorejamejillafrentenarizboca

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Zona redonda de la cara a cada lado de la bocaÓrgano de la boca que ayuda a saborear y hablarCada uno de los órganos para verPieza dura dentro de la boca que ayuda a masticarParte baja de la cara debajo de la bocaParte externa de la cabeza que sirve para oírAbertura de la cara por donde comemos y hablamosParte superior de la cara encima de los ojosParte de la cara que usamos para oler y respirar

Basic vocabulary of the head and face

Word	Definition
ojo	Each one of the organs for seeing.
oreja	Outer part of the head that is used to hear.
nariz	Part of the face that we use to smell and breathe.
boca	Opening of the face through which we eat and speak.
diente	Hard piece inside the mouth that helps to chew.
lengua	Organ of the mouth that helps to taste and speak.
frente	Upper part of the face above the eyes.
mejilla	Round area of the face on each side of the mouth.
barbilla	Lower part of the face under the mouth.

Scramble

The arm has several parts that are named with great precision. From top to bottom: hombro, brazo, codo, muñeca, mano and dedo. In everyday phrases you hear levantar el brazo, doblar el codo, mover la muñeca or usar la mano. These words are common in exercises, gestures and also in Ejercicio y Movimiento.

brazohombrodedomanomuñecacodo

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Articulación que dobla el brazo por la mitadParte estrecha entre la mano y el brazoExtremidad con la que agarramos y tocamosExtremidad que va del hombro a la manoCada una de las partes largas y finas de la manoParte del cuerpo donde el brazo se une al torso

Basic vocabulary of arms and hands

Word	Definition
hombro	Part of the body where the arm joins the torso.
brazo	Extremity from the shoulder to the hand.
codo	Joint that bends the arm in half.
muñeca	Narrow part between the hand and the arm.
mano	Extremity with which we grab and touch.
dedo	Each of the long, thin parts of the hand.

Scramble

The lower part of the body uses very common vocabulary. The pierna reaches to the rodilla, then there is the tobillo and after that the pie. On the foot you also distinguish the talón and the dedo del pie. In everyday conversation you say me duele la rodilla, torcerse el tobillo or pisar con el pie izquierdo. These words appear frequently in Ejercicio y Movimiento and in Síntomas y Lesiones.

rodillatobillopiepiernatalóndedo del pie

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Parte trasera del pieArticulación entre la pierna y el pieArticulación del centro de la piernaParte del cuerpo con la que apoyamos el peso al andarParte del cuerpo que usamos para caminar y correrCada una de las partes pequeñas al frente del pie

Basic vocabulary of legs and feet

Word	Definition
pierna	Part of the body that we use to walk and run.
rodilla	Joint at the center of the leg.
tobillo	Joint between the leg and the foot.
pie	Part of the body with which we support weight when walking.
talón	Rear part of the foot.
dedo del pie	Each of the small parts at the front of the foot.

Scramble

The center of the body is described with very common words. The pecho is in front, the espalda is behind, the barriga is in the abdominal area and the cintura separates the torso from the hips. The cadera connects the trunk with the legs. These words are useful for talking about posture, clothing and discomfort, and also for understanding descriptions of the body in Apariencia Física.

caderabarrigacinturaespaldapecho

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Parte frontal del torso entre el cuello y la barrigaZona estrecha del cuerpo entre el pecho y la caderaParte trasera del torsoParte lateral del cuerpo sobre la piernaParte delantera del cuerpo debajo del pecho

Basic vocabulary of the torso and trunk

Word	Definition
pecho	Front part of the torso between the neck and the tummy.
espalda	Back part of the torso.
barriga	Front part of the body below the chest.
cintura	Narrow area of the body between the chest and the hip.
cadera	Lateral part of the body above the leg.

Scramble

To talk about physical ill feeling, Spanish uses direct structures like me duele + part of the body and tengo dolor de + part of the body. You say me duele la cabeza, me duele la espalda and tengo dolor de muelas. With these words verbs also appear such as golpearse, torcerse and cortarse. In a pharmacy, at home or at a medical appointment, this vocabulary connects with Síntomas y Lesiones.

tengo dolor de espaldame duele la cabezame duele la panzame duele un montón

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Expresa que el dolor es muy fuerteForma clara y directa para decir que la espalda está adoloridaSe usa para decir que la cabeza siente dolorSe usa mucho para decir que la barriga duele

Ways of talking about pain by region

Region	Variant	Definition	Example
España	me duele la cabeza	Used to say that the head feels pain.	Hoy me duele la cabeza por tanto tambor en la fiesta.Today my head hurts because of that drum at the party.
México	me duele la panza	Used a lot to say that the belly hurts.	Después de tantos churros me duele la panza.After so many churros my belly hurts.
Argentina	me duele un montón	Expresses that the pain is very strong.	Después del partido me duele un montón la espalda.After the game it hurts a ton my back.
Colombia	tengo dolor de espalda	Clear and direct way to say that the back is sore.	Anoche cargué cajas y hoy tengo dolor de espalda.Last night I carried boxes and today I have back pain.

Scramble

Many parts of the body are used with an article: la cabeza, el brazo, la mano, la pierna. In plural, the form changes regularly: los brazos, las manos, las piernas, los pies. Some words also change in everyday conversation to sound more natural: you say la cara instead of el rostro in most common situations, and simple, direct words are preferred when talking about health, exercise or appearance. In a normal description of the body, the most frequent language is the one that already appears in Síntomas y Lesiones and Apariencia Física.

Useful rules for the body in conversation

Idea
Use the singular when youTalk about a single part of the body.
Use the plural when you talk about several equal parts.
In everyday conversation, simple and direct words are preferred.
With dolor use the structure tener dolor de to sound natural.
With doler the body can appear as the object of the verb.