01 · Say where it hurts
Me duele la cabeza.
I have a headache.
The pattern is me duele + body part — but switch to me duelen for plurals: me duelen los ojos, never me duele los ojos.
andbefluent.com/spanish/doctor-lite
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.
The warm-up pack
The phrases that get you through a consultation — what to say, and what she'll say back.
01 · Say where it hurts
Me duele la cabeza.
I have a headache.
The pattern is me duele + body part — but switch to me duelen for plurals: me duelen los ojos, never me duele los ojos.
02 · When you don't know the word
Me duele aquí.
It hurts here.
Point and say this. It works when you don't know the body part in Spanish, and nobody will think less of you for it.
03 · Name the symptom
Tengo tos y dolor de garganta.
I have a cough and sore throat.
Tengo + symptom covers almost everything else that isn't a specific pain — fiebre, náuseas, mareos, all slot in the same way.
04 · Say how long
Tengo fiebre desde ayer. Desde hace tres días.
I've had a fever since yesterday. For three days.
This answers the question a doctor always asks first — ¿cuánto tiempo lleva así? Have the duration ready before you're asked.
05 · At the pharmacy
¿Tiene algo para el dolor de cabeza?
Do you have something for a headache?
Swap in whatever hurts — this exact shape works for almost any ailment at the counter.
06 · Check before you buy
¿Necesito receta para esto?
Do I need a prescription for this?
Worth asking upfront — rules vary by country and it saves a wasted trip if the answer is yes.
07 · Volunteer it first
Soy alérgico a la penicilina.
I'm allergic to penicillin.
Say this before anything is prescribed, don't wait to be asked. It's the detail that actually matters if you skip it.
08 · What they'll ask you
¿Cuánto tiempo lleva así? ¿Está tomando algún medicamento?
How long have you been like this? Are you taking any medication?
Two standard questions in almost every consultation — have your answers ready and the visit moves fast.
09 · Understand the dosage
Tome una pastilla cada ocho horas.
Take one pill every eight hours.
Repeat instructions like this back to confirm you understood — doctors expect it, it's not rude to double-check.
10 · Understand the care advice
Beba mucha agua. Necesita descansar mucho.
Drink lots of water. You need to rest a lot.
Simple imperatives, easy to miss if you're only half-listening — both use the same formal usted register as the rest of the visit.
11 · Know when to come back
Vuelva si no mejora en tres días.
Come back if you don't improve in three days.
The standard follow-up line — hearing mejora (get better) plus a number of days is your cue to plan a second visit if needed.
FLUENT
Finally, someone to talk to in Spanish.
Ten-minute spoken lessons. A teacher who answers back — and gently fixes what you got wrong.
First 10 lessons freeandbefluent.com/spanish/doctor-liteRegional 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.