How to see a doctor in Spanish
Quería pedir cita con el médico, por favor.
“I'd like to make an appointment with the doctor, please.”
When: On the phone to the health centre
The moment
The sore throat hasn't gone away, so you phone your centro de salud in Madrid for an appointment. In the consulting room you explain what hurts and how long it has been going on.
A2 · Unit 3 · Daily life
The lines
Asking for an appointment
Spaniards soften requests with the imperfect quería, literally "I wanted": "Quería pedir cita con el médico, por favor." It sounds far politer than quiero.
Quería pedir cita con el médico, por favor.
“I'd like to make an appointment with the doctor, please.”
When to use it: On the phone to the health centre
What you’ll hear back: ¿Me dice su nombre y su número de tarjeta sanitaria? (Can you give me your name and health card number?)
Where it hurts and since when
Point at the spot and add desde hace plus a length of time: "Me duele aquí desde hace tres días." Desde hace is what answers the question ¿desde cuándo?
Me duele aquí desde hace tres días.
“It has hurt here for three days.”
When to use it: In the consulting room, pointing at the spot
What you’ll hear back: ¿Le duele todo el día o solo por la noche? (Does it hurt all day or only at night?)
Words for this scene
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| No me encuentro bien | noh meh en-KWEN-troh BYEN | I don't feel well |
Llevo dos días que no me encuentro bien. I haven't been feeling well for two days. Tip: Preferred in Spain; me siento mal can sound like guilt. | ||
| Me tomé un ibuprofeno | meh toh-MEH oon ee-boo-proh-FEH-noh | I took an ibuprofen |
Anoche me tomé un ibuprofeno y dormí mejor. Last night I took an ibuprofen and slept better. Tip: Spaniards say tomarse, not just tomar, for taking medicine. | ||
| ¿Tengo que volver? | TEN-goh keh bol-BEHR | Do I have to come back? |
¿Tengo que volver si sigo igual el viernes? Do I have to come back if I'm still the same on Friday? Tip: Ask before you leave — a follow-up needs its own cita. | ||
Your objective
Ask for an appointment; when the first slot offered is days away, ask for something sooner, then tell the doctor where it hurts and since when.
- a sooner appointment
- where it hurts
- since when
Lines that get it done
- Quería pedir cita con el médico, por favor.
- Me duele aquí desde hace tres días.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You're on the phone to the health centre. How do you ask for an appointment politely?
- Quería pedir cita con el médico, por favor.
- Quiero una cita del médico, por favor.
- Pido cita al médico, por favor.
- Necesito médico cita, por favor.
Show the answer
Quería pedir cita con el médico, por favor.
Quería pedir cita is the standard polite formula in Spain.
2. The doctor asks "¿Desde cuándo le duele?" Which answer fits?
- Desde hace tres días.
- Desde tres días hace.
- Hace tres días después.
- Por tres días desde.
Show the answer
Desde hace tres días.
Desde hace plus a time span says how long it has been going on.
3. The doctor asks "¿Ha tomado algo?" How do you say you took an ibuprofen last night?
- Anoche me tomé un ibuprofeno.
- Anoche me tomo un ibuprofeno.
- Anoche voy a tomar un ibuprofeno.
- Anoche tomando un ibuprofeno.
Show the answer
Anoche me tomé un ibuprofeno.
Me tomé is the simple past — the pill is already taken.