Body Parts

1. la cabeza

   Head

   Usage

   Show it at a clinic and point to your head. "Me duele la cabeza" means my head hurts

   Grammar Note

   Feminine. Spanish says "me duele la cabeza", not "mi cabeza duele"

2. el pelo

   Hair

   Usage

   Used at a salon or barber. "El cabello" is the literary word; everyday speech uses "el pelo"

   Grammar Note

   Masculine, and singular for the hair on your head as a whole

3. la cara

   Face

   Usage

   Use it to mark the treatment area at a spa, or to show a skin problem to a doctor

4. el ojo

   Eye

   Usage

   Point to it for pain or redness, or to ask for "colirio" — eye drops

5. la oreja

   Ear (outer)

   Usage

   Spanish splits the visible ear ("la oreja") from the hearing organ inside ("el oído"). Piercings and earlobes use "oreja"; earache uses "oído"

6. el oído

   Ear (inner) / Hearing

   Usage

   Use it for ear trouble after a flight or a dive: "Me duele el oído"

7. la nariz

   Nose

   Usage

   Point to it at a pharmacy for a blocked nose ("la nariz tapada") or a nosebleed

8. la boca

   Mouth

   Usage

   Use it for pain inside the mouth. A mouth ulcer is "un afta"

9. el diente

   Tooth

   Usage

   Show it at the dentist while pointing at the tooth. A back tooth has its own word, "la muela" — "me duele la muela"

10. la lengua

    Tongue

    Usage

    For a burnt tongue or a sore on it. The same word also means "language"

11. el cuello

    Neck

    Usage

    Point to it at a massage shop for a stiff neck. The inside of the throat is "la garganta"

12. la garganta

    Throat

    Usage

    Use it at a pharmacy or clinic. "Me duele la garganta" is the set phrase

13. el hombro

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Point to it to ask a masseur to focus there

14. el brazo

    Arm

    Usage

    Use it to show where you were hurt. Spanish keeps the arm and the hand apart, as English does

15. el codo

    Elbow

    Usage

    A common place for grazes — point to it after a bike or scooter spill

16. la muñeca

    Wrist

    Usage

    Use it for a sprain. The same word means "doll", so point at your wrist as you show it

17. la mano

    Hand

    Usage

    Use it to show an injury or the area to be treated at a nail salon

    Grammar Note

    Ends in -o but is feminine: "la mano", "las manos"

18. el dedo

    Finger

    Usage

    Point to it for an injury or a ring size. Spanish uses one word for fingers and toes — say "el dedo del pie" for a toe

19. la uña

    Nail

    Usage

    Use it at a nail salon, or to show an ingrown nail. A manicure is "la manicura"

20. el pecho

    Chest

    Usage

    Point to it for chest pain or tightness. This is urgent — show it early

21. la barriga

    Belly

    Usage

    The outside of your middle. Spain also says "la tripa", Latin America "la panza". With a doctor, "el abdomen" is unambiguous

22. el estómago

    Stomach (organ)

    Usage

    For asking for stomach medicine or reporting food trouble: "me duele el estómago". Diarrhoea is "la diarrea"

23. la espalda

    Back

    Usage

    Use it to direct a massage or to show where the pain is

24. la parte baja de la espalda

    Lower back

    Usage

    There is no single Spanish word for it — say this, or "la zona lumbar", for pain, and "la cintura" for a waist measurement

25. la cadera

    Hip

    Usage

    The joint at the side of the pelvis. The buttocks themselves are "el trasero"

26. la pierna

    Leg

    Usage

    Point to it to show an injury or the area for a massage. The calf is "la pantorrilla"

27. la rodilla

    Knee

    Usage

    For knee pain after long travel or a long walk — a standard complaint on the Camino de Santiago

28. el pie

    Foot

    Usage

    For blisters and injuries. A blister is "una ampolla"

29. el tobillo

    Ankle

    Usage

    Point to it for a sprain: "me torcí el tobillo"

30. la piel

    Skin

    Usage

    Use it at a pharmacy for bites, sunburn ("la quemadura solar") or a rash

31. el hueso

    Bone

    Usage

    Use it when you think something is broken: "creo que está roto"

32. la sangre

    Blood

    Usage

    For bleeding or a blood test. Your blood group is "el grupo sanguíneo"

33. el corazón

    Heart

    Usage

    For palpitations or a long-term condition: "tengo una enfermedad del corazón"

34. el pulmón

    Lung

    Usage

    For a cough, breathlessness or asthma. Say "los pulmones" for both

35. el intestino

    Intestine

    Usage

    Use it with a doctor for lasting diarrhoea or abdominal trouble

36. el hígado

    Liver

    Usage

    Use it when telling a doctor about a liver condition or your medication

37. el riñón

    Kidney

    Usage

    For a kidney condition or pain in your side. A stone is "un cálculo renal"

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