Medical instructions vocabulary in Spanish to help understand and follow healthcare guidelines, including common commands, timing, and dosage terms.
Medical instructions are essential for following doctor’s orders, using medications correctly, and communicating safely about health. This page covers key Spanish vocabulary for giving and understanding medical directions, including how to take medicine, describe timing, and follow common commands. Practicing these words and phrases will help you navigate healthcare situations with confidence.
This section covers the most common directions you’ll see on medication labels or hear from a pharmacist or doctor. It includes how to describe dosage, frequency, and method of taking medicine.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| la pastilla | las pastillas | the pill | the pills | Tome una pastilla por la mañana. | Take one pill in the morning. |
| la cápsula | las cápsulas | the capsule | the capsules | Beba una cápsula con agua. | Drink one capsule with water. |
| el jarabe | los jarabes | the syrup | the syrups | Tome el jarabe antes de dormir. | Take the syrup before bed. |
| el ungüento | los ungüentos | the ointment | the ointments | Aplique el ungüento en la piel. | Apply the ointment on the skin. |
| la crema | las cremas | the cream | the creams | Use la crema dos veces al día. | Use the cream twice a day. |
| la inyección | las inyecciones | the injection | the injections | La inyección es una vez a la semana. | The injection is once a week. |
| la dosis | las dosis | the dose | the doses | No exceda la dosis recomendada. | Do not exceed the recommended dose. |
| el comprimido | los comprimidos | the tablet | the tablets | Tome un comprimido después de comer. | Take one tablet after eating. |
| la receta | las recetas | the prescription | the prescriptions | Lleve la receta a la farmacia. | Take the prescription to the pharmacy. |
| el frasco | los frascos | the bottle | the bottles | El frasco contiene 100 ml de jarabe. | The bottle contains 100 ml of syrup. |
Understanding when and how often to take medicine is crucial. This section includes vocabulary for describing time, meals, and frequency in Spanish medical instructions.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mañana | -- | morning | -- | Tome la medicina por la mañana. | Take the medicine in the morning. |
| tarde | -- | afternoon | -- | Tome la medicina por la tarde. | Take the medicine in the afternoon. |
| noche | -- | night | -- | No tome la medicina por la noche. | Don’t take the medicine at night. |
| antes de comer | -- | before eating | -- | Beba el jarabe antes de comer. | Drink the syrup before eating. |
| después de comer | -- | after eating | -- | Tome la pastilla después de comer. | Take the pill after eating. |
| con comida | -- | with food | -- | Tome la medicina con comida. | Take the medicine with food. |
| sin comida | -- | without food | -- | Puede tomarlo sin comida. | You can take it without food. |
| dos veces al día | -- | twice a day | -- | Tome la pastilla dos veces al día. | Take the pill twice a day. |
| tres veces al día | -- | three times a day | -- | Beba el jarabe tres veces al día. | Drink the syrup three times a day. |
| una vez al día | -- | once a day | -- | La inyección es una vez al día. | The injection is once a day. |
Doctors and pharmacists use simple commands to instruct patients. This section includes the most common imperative verbs and phrases used in Spanish medical instructions.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tome | tomen | take | take | Tome la medicina con agua. | Take the medicine with water. |
| beba | beban | drink | drink | Beba todo el jarabe. | Drink all the syrup. |
| aplique | apliquen | apply | apply | Aplique la crema en el área afectada. | Apply the cream to the affected area. |
| no tome | no tomen | do not take | do not take | No tome más de dos pastillas. | Do not take more than two pills. |
| evite | eviten | avoid | avoid | Evite exponerse al sol. | Avoid sun exposure. |
| descanse | descansen | rest | rest | Descanse al menos ocho horas. | Rest at least eight hours. |
| consulte | consulten | consult | consult | Consulte a su médico si tiene dudas. | Consult your doctor if you have questions. |
| termine | terminen | finish | finish | Termine todo el tratamiento. | Finish the entire treatment. |
| guarde | guarden | keep | keep | Guarde la medicina en un lugar fresco. | Keep the medicine in a cool place. |
| reporte | reporten | report | report | Reporte cualquier efecto secundario. | Report any side effects. |
___ la medicina con agua.
How do you say 'take' (as a medical instruction) in Spanish?
Tome
'Tome' is the command form of 'take.' 'Beba' means 'drink,' 'Aplique' means 'apply,' and 'No tome' means 'do not take.'
Some medical instructions include warnings or special conditions. This section covers essential vocabulary for allergy alerts, side effects, storage, and what to do if you miss a dose.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alergia | alergias | allergy | allergies | Informe si tiene alguna alergia. | Inform if you have any allergies. |
| efecto secundario | efectos secundarios | side effect | side effects | Puede causar efectos secundarios como náuseas. | It may cause side effects like nausea. |
| dosis olvidada | dosis olvidadas | missed dose | missed doses | Si olvida una dosis, tómela cuando recuerde. | If you miss a dose, take it when you remember. |
| sobredosis | sobredosis | overdose | overdoses | Nunca tome sobredosis de medicamentos. | Never take a medication overdose. |
| refrigerar | -- | refrigerate | -- | Algunas medicinas se deben refrigerar. | Some medicines must be refrigerated. |
| mantener fuera del alcance de los niños | -- | keep out of reach of children | -- | Mantenga el frasco fuera del alcance de los niños. | Keep the bottle out of reach of children. |
| caducado | caducados | expired | expired (plural) | No use medicinas caducadas. | Do not use expired medicines. |
| interrupción | interrupciones | discontinuation | discontinuations | No interrumpa el tratamiento sin consultar. | Do not discontinue treatment without consulting. |
| emborracharse | -- | get drunk | -- | No se emborrache mientras tome este medicamento. | Do not get drunk while taking this medication. |
| conducir | -- | drive | -- | Evite conducir si se siente mareado. | Avoid driving if you feel dizzy. |
Sometimes instructions refer to specific body parts or symptoms. This section includes basic Spanish vocabulary for describing where to apply treatment or what symptoms you might have.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cabeza | cabezas | head | heads | El dolor de cabeza es un efecto secundario común. | Headache is a common side effect. |
| estómago | estómagos | stomach | stomachs | No tome la pastilla con el estómago vacío. | Don’t take the pill on an empty stomach. |
| piel | pieles | skin | skins | Aplique la crema en la piel limpia. | Apply the cream to clean skin. |
| garganta | gargantas | throat | throats | El jarabe es para el dolor de garganta. | The syrup is for sore throat. |
| brazo | brazos | arm | arms | La inyección se pone en el brazo. | The injection is given in the arm. |
| fiebre | -- | fever | -- | Si tiene fiebre, consulte al médico. | If you have a fever, consult the doctor. |
| náuseas | -- | nausea | -- | Algunos medicamentos causan náuseas. | Some medications cause nausea. |
| dolor | dolores | pain | pains | Informe si siente dolor intenso. | Inform if you feel intense pain. |
| inflamación | inflamaciones | inflammation | inflammations | La zona puede presentar inflamación. | The area may show inflammation. |
| erupción | erupciones | rash | rashes | Suspenda el medicamento si aparece erupción. | Stop the medication if a rash appears. |
Knowing how to express quantities is vital for following medical instructions precisely. This section includes Spanish vocabulary for common measurements and dosage terms.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mililitro (ml) | mililitros (ml) | milliliter (ml) | milliliters (ml) | Tome 10 ml de jarabe. | Take 10 ml of syrup. |
| gramo (g) | gramos (g) | gram (g) | grams (g) | La dosis es de 500 gramos. | The dose is 500 grams. |
| gota | gotas | drop | drops | Ponga tres gotas en el ojo. | Put three drops in the eye. |
| dosis única | dosis únicas | single dose | single doses | Se administra una dosis única. | A single dose is administered. |
| cápsula | cápsulas | capsule | capsules | Tome una cápsula con agua. | Take one capsule with water. |
| comprimido | comprimidos | tablet | tablets | No mastique el comprimido. | Do not chew the tablet. |
| unidad | unidades | unit | units | La inyección contiene 10 unidades. | The injection contains 10 units. |
| sobre | sobres | sachet | sachets | Disuelva un sobre en agua. | Dissolve one sachet in water. |
| cucharadita | cucharaditas | teaspoon | teaspoons | Tome una cucharadita de jarabe. | Take one teaspoon of syrup. |
| cucharada | cucharadas | tablespoon | tablespoons | Tome una cucharada después de comer. | Take one tablespoon after eating. |
Tome una ___ de jarabe.
What is a 'cucharadita'?
teaspoon
'Cucharadita' means 'teaspoon.' 'Cucharada' is 'tablespoon,' and the others are different measurements.
After initial treatment, there may be additional instructions about rest, follow-up appointments, or ongoing care. This section includes vocabulary for these important next steps.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| descanso | descansos | rest | rests | El descanso es fundamental para la recuperación. | Rest is essential for recovery. |
| cita | citas | appointment | appointments | Programe una cita de seguimiento. | Schedule a follow-up appointment. |
| control | controles | check-up | check-ups | Venga para un control en una semana. | Come for a check-up in one week. |
| recuperación | recuperaciones | recovery | recoveries | La recuperación puede tardar varios días. | Recovery may take several days. |
| tratamiento | tratamientos | treatment | treatments | Siga el tratamiento al pie de la letra. | Follow the treatment exactly. |
| mejora | mejoras | improvement | improvements | Informe cualquier mejora o empeoramiento. | Report any improvement or worsening. |
| reposo | reposos | bed rest | bed rests | Se indica reposo absoluto. | Absolute bed rest is indicated. |
| alta médica | altas médicas | medical discharge | medical discharges | Recibió el alta médica ayer. | He was medically discharged yesterday. |
| seguimiento | seguimientos | follow-up | follow-ups | El seguimiento es imprescindible. | Follow-up is essential. |
| instrucciones | instrucciones | instructions | instructions | Siga todas las instrucciones del médico. | Follow all the doctor’s instructions. |
Mastering Spanish medical instructions vocabulary empowers you to understand prescriptions, follow doctor’s orders safely, and communicate effectively in healthcare settings. Practice these key terms and phrases to build confidence and take control of your health journey. If you have any questions or encounter unfamiliar words, don’t hesitate to ask a healthcare professional or use reliable language resources. Your health and safety come first.
Flashcards (1 of 70)
- English Singular: the pill
- English Plural: the pills
- English Example: Take one pill in the morning.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
