Doctor Lite
Say where it hurts, how long it's lasted, and understand the answer — out loud.
Two structures carry almost every symptom: me duele + body part (me duele la cabeza — switching to me duelen for plurals: me duelen los ojos, never me duele los ojos) and tengo + symptom (tengo tos y dolor de garganta). Duration comes with desde hace — desde hace tres días — which answers the doctor's first question, ¿cuánto tiempo lleva así? Always volunteer allergies before any prescription: soy alérgico a la penicilina. And the everyday word for a cold is regional: gripa in Mexico, resfrío in Argentina.
Below: the phrases for symptoms, the pharmacy, and the doctor's instructions, what locals actually say, the mistakes that muddy a consultation — and a way to rehearse the whole visit out loud before you're sitting in the clinic.
Say this
Regional Spanish
Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.
| English | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| a cold / the flu | la gripa | el resfrío |
| a pill | la pastilla | el comprimido |
| I feel terrible | Me siento de la patada | Estoy hecho percha |
| 24-hour pharmacy | farmacia de 24 horas | farmacia de turno |
Watch out
The part no phrase list can do
Isabella
Your conversation teacher for this pack
In the Doctor Lite pack, the final lesson is a consultation at a small local clinic — and Isabella is the doctor: patient, unhurried, strictly usted, and she writes her notes in a paper notebook even with a computer open in front of her. You're not feeling well. She needs your symptoms, how long you've had them, and your allergies — and when she prescribes something, you repeat the dosage back (una pastilla cada ocho horas) to be sure you got it. Out loud. And she talks back:
Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.
Finish the 5 lessons and Doctor Lite is yours — earned, not given.
First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you
Quick answers
Me duele + the body part: me duele la cabeza. For plurals the verb changes too: me duelen los ojos. Can't find the word? Point and say me duele aquí — it works.
Use desde or desde hace: tengo fiebre desde ayer, desde hace tres días. It's the answer to the doctor's standard opener, ¿cuánto tiempo lleva así?
¿Tiene algo para el dolor de cabeza? works for any ailment — swap in what hurts. Then the practical follow-ups: ¿necesito receta para esto? and ¿cada cuántas horas lo tomo?
Soy alérgico a la penicilina — and volunteer it before anything is prescribed, don't wait to be asked. If you have none: no tengo alergias.
Listen for three patterns: dosage — tome una pastilla cada ocho horas; care — beba mucha agua, necesita descansar mucho; follow-up — vuelva si no mejora en tres días. Repeat the dosage back to confirm you understood.
