At the pharmacy in Spanish: saying what hurts, asking for medicine, and what is sold over the counter in Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina
A visitor needs Spanish most at the pharmacy and has it least. You are unwell, the counter is high, the pharmacist is quick, and the words for the body and the medicine were never in the course. This page has what to say, what you will be asked, what the common medicines are called, and how pharmacies work in Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina.
Getting started
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hello, I need something for… | Hola, necesito algo para… | The sentence that does most of the work |
| Do you have something for…? | ¿Tiene algo para…? | |
| I don’t feel well | No me siento bien. | |
| I’m sick | Estoy enfermo / enferma. / Estoy malo / mala. (Spain) | Ending matches the speaker |
| It hurts here | Me duele aquí. | Point |
| Since yesterday | Desde ayer. | |
| For two days | Desde hace dos días. / Hace dos días. | |
| I have a prescription | Tengo una receta. | |
| Without a prescription? | ¿Se puede sin receta? | |
| Do I need a prescription? | ¿Necesito receta? | |
| What do you recommend? | ¿Qué me recomienda? | |
| Is there a generic? | ¿Hay genérico? | Cheaper, same drug |
| Something stronger | Algo más fuerte. | |
| For a child | Para un niño de seis años. | Age matters for the dose |
| I’m pregnant | Estoy embarazada. | |
| I’m allergic to | Soy alérgico / alérgica a… | |
| I take … | Tomo… | For interactions |
Saying what is wrong
The pattern is me duele for one thing and me duelen for more than one: me duele la cabeza, my head hurts; me duelen los ojos, my eyes hurt. Tengo for conditions: tengo fiebre, I have a fever.
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Headache | Me duele la cabeza. / Tengo dolor de cabeza. | |
| Sore throat | Me duele la garganta. | |
| Stomach ache | Me duele el estómago. / Me duele la panza. (Mexico, Argentina) / Me duele la barriga. (Spain, Colombia) | |
| Back pain | Me duele la espalda. | |
| Toothache | Me duele una muela. | Muela is a molar, and it is what people say |
| Earache | Me duele el oído. | Oído is the inner ear |
| My eyes hurt | Me duelen los ojos. | |
| A cold | Tengo un resfriado. / Estoy resfriado. / Tengo gripa. (Colombia, Mexico) / Tengo gripe. (Spain, Argentina) | Gripa and gripe are the same word |
| The flu | Tengo gripe. | |
| A cough | Tengo tos. | |
| Dry cough, chesty cough | tos seca, tos con flema | |
| A fever | Tengo fiebre. | |
| A blocked nose | Tengo la nariz tapada. / Estoy congestionado. | |
| A runny nose | Me gotea la nariz. / Tengo mocos. | |
| Sneezing | Estornudo mucho. | |
| Nausea | Tengo náuseas. | |
| I vomited | Vomité. | |
| Diarrhoea | Tengo diarrea. | The traveller’s word; say it, the pharmacist hears it daily |
| Constipation | Estoy estreñido / estreñida. | Not constipado, which in Spain means having a cold |
| Heartburn | Tengo acidez. / Tengo agruras. (Mexico) | |
| Indigestion | Tengo indigestión. / Me cayó mal la comida. | The food did not sit well |
| Dizziness | Estoy mareado / mareada. | Also seasick, carsick |
| Altitude sickness | Tengo mal de altura. / Me pegó la altura. (Bogotá) / Tengo soroche. (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador) | |
| An allergy | Tengo alergia. | |
| Hay fever | Tengo alergia al polen. / Rinitis. | |
| A rash | Tengo un sarpullido. / Me salió una erupción. | |
| Itching | Me pica. | |
| Sunburn | Me quemé con el sol. | |
| A mosquito bite | Me picó un mosquito. / un zancudo (Mexico, Colombia) | |
| A cut | Me corté. | |
| A blister | Tengo una ampolla. | |
| A sprain | Me torcí el tobillo. | |
| Period pain | Tengo dolor menstrual. / Tengo cólicos. | Cólicos is the everyday word in Latin America |
| Insomnia | No puedo dormir. | |
| Anxiety | Tengo ansiedad. | |
| I’m tired all the time | Estoy muy cansado / cansada todo el tiempo. |
Constipado is the trap. In Spain estoy constipado means I have a cold. Constipation is estreñimiento. Say the wrong one and you get the wrong medicine.
What the pharmacist will ask
| You will hear | It means | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Qué síntomas tiene? | What symptoms do you have? | List them from the table above |
| ¿Desde cuándo? | Since when? | Desde ayer. / Desde hace tres días. |
| ¿Tiene fiebre? | Do you have a fever? | Sí, un poco. / No. |
| ¿Es alérgico a algo? | Are you allergic to anything? | A la penicilina. / No, a nada. |
| ¿Toma algún medicamento? | Do you take any medication? | Tomo… / No. |
| ¿Para usted o para otra persona? | For you or someone else? | |
| ¿Para adulto o para niño? | For an adult or a child? | |
| ¿En pastillas o en jarabe? | Tablets or syrup? | |
| ¿Lo quiere de marca o genérico? | Brand or generic? | Genérico está bien. |
| ¿Algo más? | Anything else? | No, eso es todo, gracias. |
The medicines
Brand names differ by country; the drug names are close to English and pharmacists know them.
| You want | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Painkiller | un analgésico / algo para el dolor | |
| Paracetamol | paracetamol / acetaminofén | Paracetamol in Spain and Argentina; acetaminofén in Colombia and Mexico, where the brands Tempra and Tylenol are named as often |
| Ibuprofen | ibuprofeno | |
| Aspirin | una aspirina | |
| Anti-inflammatory | un antiinflamatorio | |
| Antihistamine | un antihistamínico / algo para la alergia | |
| Cough syrup | un jarabe para la tos | |
| Throat lozenges | pastillas para la garganta | |
| Decongestant | un descongestionante | |
| Nasal spray | un spray nasal / un aerosol nasal | |
| Antacid | un antiácido | |
| For diarrhoea | algo para la diarrea / loperamida | |
| Rehydration salts | suero oral / sales de rehidratación | Suero in Mexico and Colombia; Electrolit is the Mexican brand everyone names |
| Laxative | un laxante | |
| Anti-nausea | algo para las náuseas | |
| Motion sickness pills | pastillas para el mareo | |
| Antibiotic | un antibiótico | Prescription in Spain, Argentina and Colombia; sold with a prescription in Mexico since 2010 |
| Cream for bites | una crema para las picaduras | |
| Antiseptic | un antiséptico / agua oxigenada (hydrogen peroxide) / alcohol | |
| Plasters | curitas (Latin America) / tiritas (Spain) | Both brand names that became the word |
| Bandage | una venda | |
| Gauze | una gasa | |
| Thermometer | un termómetro | |
| Sunscreen | protector solar / bloqueador (Mexico, Colombia) / crema solar (Spain) | Factor: factor cincuenta |
| After-sun | after sun / crema para después del sol | |
| Insect repellent | repelente | |
| Condoms | preservativos / condones | Both understood everywhere |
| The morning-after pill | la pastilla del día después / la pastilla del día siguiente (Mexico) | Over the counter in all four |
| Contact lens solution | líquido para lentes de contacto / para lentillas (Spain) / para pupilentes (Mexico) | |
| Vitamins | vitaminas | |
| Eye drops | gotas para los ojos / colirio | |
| Ear drops | gotas para el oído |
Doses and instructions
| You will hear or read | It means |
|---|---|
| una pastilla cada ocho horas | one tablet every eight hours |
| cada doce horas / dos veces al día | every twelve hours / twice a day |
| tres veces al día | three times a day |
| con las comidas / después de comer | with meals / after eating |
| en ayunas | on an empty stomach |
| antes de dormir | before bed |
| durante cinco días | for five days |
| hasta que termine | until it is finished |
| no más de … al día | no more than … a day |
| disolver en agua | dissolve in water |
| agitar antes de usar | shake before use |
| uso externo | external use |
| no tomar con alcohol | do not take with alcohol |
| puede causar sueño | may cause drowsiness |
| una cucharada / una cucharadita | a tablespoon / a teaspoon |
| medio comprimido | half a tablet |
The words for a tablet: una pastilla everywhere in speech, un comprimido on the box, una tableta in Mexico, una cápsula for a capsule. Un sobre is a sachet.
| You want to ask | Spanish |
|---|---|
| How do I take it? | ¿Cómo lo tomo? |
| How many a day? | ¿Cuántas al día? |
| With food? | ¿Con comida? |
| Can I drink alcohol? | ¿Puedo tomar alcohol? |
| Does it make you drowsy? | ¿Da sueño? |
| Can I drive? | ¿Puedo manejar? / ¿Puedo conducir? (Spain) |
| Is it safe for children? | ¿Es para niños también? |
| What if it doesn’t get better? | ¿Y si no mejora? |
How pharmacies work in each country
Mexico. Pharmacies are everywhere and many are open all night (farmacia de 24 horas). The big chains (Farmacias Guadalajara, del Ahorro, Similares) often have a doctor’s office attached, el consultorio, where a consultation costs little and is done in minutes; ask ¿tiene consultorio? You need a prescription for antibiotics. Farmacias Similares sells generics and its doctor writes the prescription on the spot. The pharmacist is often a shop assistant rather than a pharmacist; for advice, use the consultorio.
Spain. Pharmacies are independent, marked with a green cross, and the person behind the counter is a trained pharmacist who gives real advice; ask ¿qué me recomienda? and you get a considered answer. The rules in Spain are strict: you need a prescription for antibiotics and ibuprofen 600, and 400 is the strength sold freely. La farmacia de guardia is the one open at night and on Sundays; the list is on every pharmacy door. Supermarkets do not sell painkillers.
Colombia. Called la droguería as often as la farmacia; both are correct. Chains (Farmatodo, Cruz Verde, La Rebaja) deliver to your door, and ordering by phone or app is normal: ¿hacen domicilios?, do you deliver. Many medicines are sold by the single tablet, so you can ask for dos pastillas de acetaminofén and pay for two. Gripa for a cold. Altitude in Bogotá is real; algo para el mal de altura is understood.
Argentina. Farmacias with a pharmacist, often with a numbered ticket system at busy ones (saque número, take a number). Chains (Farmacity) and neighbourhood pharmacies alike. Farmacia de turno is the one open at night; the list is posted on the door. Ibuprofen and paracetamol are behind the counter and cheap. For something urgent, the guardia is the walk-in emergency service at hospitals and clinics, free at public hospitals; it is not the place for a routine consultation.
Emergencies
| You want to say | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I need a doctor | Necesito un médico. / Necesito un doctor. |
| Where is the nearest hospital? | ¿Dónde está el hospital más cercano? |
| Call an ambulance | Llame a una ambulancia. |
| It’s urgent | Es urgente. |
| Emergency | Emergencia. / Urgencias. (the hospital department) |
| I have travel insurance | Tengo seguro de viaje. |
| I’m diabetic | Soy diabético / diabética. |
| I have asthma | Tengo asma. |
| Heart | el corazón |
| I can’t breathe | No puedo respirar. |
| Help | ¡Ayuda! / ¡Auxilio! |
Emergency numbers: 911 in Mexico, 112 in Spain, 123 in Colombia, 107 for an ambulance in Argentina (911 in Buenos Aires).
Ten sentences you can say tomorrow
- Hola, necesito algo para el dolor de cabeza. Hi, I need something for a headache.
- Me duele la garganta desde ayer y tengo tos. My throat has hurt since yesterday and I have a cough.
- Tengo gripa. ¿Qué me recomienda? I have a cold. What do you recommend? (Mexico, Colombia)
- Estoy estreñido, no constipado. I’m constipated, not cold-ridden. (Spain, the one to get right)
- Soy alérgico a la penicilina. I’m allergic to penicillin.
- ¿Se puede sin receta? Can I get it without a prescription?
- ¿Cómo lo tomo? ¿Cuántas al día? How do I take it? How many a day?
- Genérico está bien. Generic is fine.
- ¿Tiene consultorio? Is there a doctor here? (Mexico)
- Me picaron los zancudos. ¿Tiene una crema? The mosquitoes bit me. Do you have a cream? (Mexico, Colombia)
Questions people ask
Farmacia or droguería? Farmacia everywhere. Droguería in Colombia means a pharmacy too; in Spain a droguería sells cleaning products and paint.
Can I buy antibiotics over the counter? Not in any of the four. In Mexico this ended in 2010. A consultorio doctor in Mexico can prescribe them in minutes.
How do I say “over the counter”? Sin receta, without a prescription. De venta libre on the box.
What is “suero”? In Mexico and Colombia, an oral rehydration drink, the thing to ask for after a stomach bug. Suero also means serum and an IV drip.
Is ibuprofen “ibuprofeno” everywhere? Yes. Paracetamol is paracetamol in Spain and Argentina and acetaminofén in Mexico and Colombia, where the brands Tempra and Tylenol are named as often.
What does “de guardia” mean? On duty. La farmacia de guardia (Spain) or de turno (Argentina, Colombia) is the one open out of hours.
How do I say I feel better? Ya me siento mejor. And worse: Estoy peor.
Practise these words
doler, cabeza, garganta, estómago, fiebre, tos, receta, pastilla, tomar, alérgico, sentirse, mejor, peor. Vozelu is a free website for practising Spanish, and it has each of these. You see a sentence with one word missing, you type the word, and a native voice reads the sentence back. Practise the words on this page. You practise doler practised in the me duele shape.