Why are so many medical terms similar in English and Spanish?

Both languages borrow heavily from Latin and Greek for medical terminology, so words like diagnosis, infection and anesthesia look and sound similar. Pronunciation and some meanings still differ, so don't assume they're identical.

Can I practice real patient conversations in class?

Yes, an English for work class can build practice around your actual specialty and the phrases you use with patients day to day.

Medical vocabulary in English

The list

Search a term

Medical vocabulary
Term	Meaning	Spanish	Example
diagnosis	the identification of an illness or condition	diagnóstico	The diagnosis was confirmed after the tests.
symptom	a sign that something is wrong with the body	síntoma	Fever is a common symptom of infection.
prescription	a written order for medicine	receta médica	I'll write you a prescription for antibiotics.
dosage	the amount of medicine to take	dosis	Follow the dosage on the label.
side effect	an unwanted effect of a medicine	efecto secundario	Nausea is a common side effect of this drug.
chronic	lasting a long time, ongoing	crónico	She has a chronic condition that needs regular checkups.
acute	sudden and severe	agudo	He was admitted for acute abdominal pain.
referral	sending a patient to a specialist	derivación	I'm giving you a referral to a cardiologist.
follow-up	a later appointment to check progress	control, seguimiento	Let's schedule a follow-up in two weeks.
vital signs	basic body measurements like pulse and blood pressure	signos vitales	The nurse checked his vital signs.
blood pressure	the force of blood against artery walls	presión arterial	Your blood pressure is a bit high today.
allergy	an unusual reaction to a substance	alergia	Do you have any allergies to medication?
anesthesia	medicine used to prevent pain during surgery	anestesia	You'll be under general anesthesia for the procedure.
surgery	an operation	cirugía	The surgery lasted three hours.
recovery	the process of getting better	recuperación	Recovery usually takes about six weeks.
medical history	a patient's past health information	historia clínica	Please fill out your medical history before the appointment.
outpatient	a patient who doesn't stay overnight	paciente ambulatorio	It's an outpatient procedure, you'll go home the same day.
inpatient	a patient who stays in the hospital	paciente internado	She was admitted as an inpatient for observation.
immune system	the body's defense against illness	sistema inmunológico	A weak immune system makes infections more likely.
infection	an illness caused by bacteria or a virus	infección	The wound shows signs of infection.
consent form	a document a patient signs to agree to treatment	consentimiento informado	Please sign the consent form before the procedure.
insurance coverage	what a health plan pays for	cobertura del seguro	Check your insurance coverage before the treatment.
bedside manner	how a doctor communicates with patients	trato con el paciente	She has excellent bedside manner.
over the counter	medicine you can buy without a prescription	de venta libre	This is available over the counter.
underlying condition	a health problem that exists before or alongside another	condición preexistente	He has an underlying heart condition.
physical therapy	treatment to restore movement and strength	kinesiología, fisioterapia	She started physical therapy after the surgery.

How to use these with patients

Many medical terms look similar in English and Spanish (diagnosis, infection, anesthesia), since both borrow from Latin and Greek, but watch the false friends: constipated means estreñido, not resfriado, which is congested or has a cold.
Actually doesn't mean actualmente. Use currently for that: she is currently taking two medications.
With English-speaking patients, plain terms often land better than clinical Latin ones: say heart attack, not myocardial infarction, unless the patient is medically trained.

Practice

Questions

Why are so many medical terms similar in English and Spanish?: Both languages borrow heavily from Latin and Greek for medical terminology, so words like diagnosis, infection and anesthesia look and sound similar. Pronunciation and some meanings still differ, so don't assume they're identical.
Can I practice real patient conversations in class?: Yes, an English for work class can build practice around your actual specialty and the phrases you use with patients day to day.

Keep going

Want to practise this with Pili?

Book a trial class. She writes back with times in Buenos Aires time.

Book a trial class