At the Doctor's Office in Spanish: A Real Conversation
An example conversation to study — read the Spanish line by line, check the English underneath. A page shows you what to say; saying it out loud is what makes it yours.
- Receptionist
Buenas tardes. ¿Tiene cita?
Good afternoon. Do you have an appointment?
- You
Sí, a las cuatro y media, a nombre de Taylor.
Yes, at four thirty, under the name Taylor.
- Receptionist
Perfecto. Tome asiento, ahora le llaman.
Perfect. Have a seat, they'll call you shortly.
- Doctor
¿Taylor? Pase, pase. Cuénteme, ¿qué le trae por aquí?
Taylor? Come in, come in. Tell me, what brings you here?
- You
Llevo una semana con mucha tos y me cuesta dormir por la noche.
I've had a bad cough for a week and I'm having trouble sleeping at night.
- Doctor
¿Tos seca o con mocos? ¿Ha tenido fiebre?
A dry cough or with phlegm? Have you had a fever?
- You
Seca, sobre todo por la noche. Fiebre creo que no, no me la he tomado.
Dry, especially at night. Fever, I don't think so — I haven't taken my temperature.
- Doctor
Vamos a auscultarle. Respire hondo… otra vez… bien.
Let's listen to your chest. Breathe deeply… again… good.
- You
¿Es algo serio, doctor?
Is it something serious, doctor?
- Doctor
No, es una bronquitis leve. Le voy a recetar un jarabe. Si en una semana no mejora, vuelva.
No, it's mild bronchitis. I'm going to prescribe you a syrup. If it doesn't improve in a week, come back.
- You
De acuerdo. ¿Puedo hacer vida normal, trabajar y demás?
Alright. Can I go about life normally — work and so on?
- Doctor
Sí, pero descanse todo lo que pueda y beba mucha agua. La receta se la mando a la farmacia.
Yes, but rest as much as you can and drink a lot of water. I'll send the prescription to the pharmacy.
- You
Muchas gracias, doctor. Hasta luego.
Thank you very much, doctor. Goodbye.
What's happening in this conversation
A routine appointment has four beats: check-in, symptoms, examination, instructions. The formality is one notch up from the pharmacy — everything in usted — and the most valuable pattern is "llevo una semana con tos": duration + con + symptom, the construction native speakers actually use for "I've had X for Y".
Notice the two questions patients forget to ask, both here: "¿es algo serio?" and "¿puedo hacer vida normal?" — they get the doctor to translate the diagnosis into your actual life.
Key phrases to steal
| Spanish | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Tengo cita a nombre de… | I have an appointment under… | Same check-in formula as hotels |
| ¿Qué le trae por aquí? | What brings you here? | What the doctor will say — be ready |
| Llevo una semana con tos | I've had a cough for a week | THE duration pattern |
| Me cuesta dormir | I have trouble sleeping | me cuesta + infinitive = it's hard for me to |
| ¿Es algo serio? | Is it something serious? | Ask it — the answer reassures |
| Le voy a recetar… | I'm going to prescribe you… | Signals the prescription moment |
Make it yours
- Your symptom set: "llevo tres días con dolor de estómago", "llevo un mes con dolor de espalda" (back pain) — swap symptom and duration, keep the frame.
- Understanding instructions: the verbs to catch are "recetar" (prescribe), "descansar" (rest), "volver" (come back) and time frames — "si en una semana no mejora".
- Booking the appointment by phone: "quería pedir cita con el doctor García" — I'd like to book an appointment with Dr. García.
The counter version of this conversation — no appointment needed — is at the pharmacy; for anything urgent, the vocabulary is in our guide to Spanish for emergencies and medical situations.
A regional note
In Spain you "pides cita" (book an appointment) and a common word for a check-up is "revisión"; in Mexico it's a "consulta" and the doctor's office is "el consultorio" (Spain: "la consulta" — same word, different object!). "Mocos" is the everyday word for phlegm/mucus everywhere, and no one considers it impolite — medical Spanish is refreshingly direct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I say how long I've had a symptom?
The native pattern is 'llevo' + time + 'con' + symptom: 'llevo una semana con tos' (I've had a cough for a week). It sounds far more natural than translating 'I have had'. The alternative 'tengo tos desde hace una semana' is also correct.
What does '¿qué le trae por aquí?' mean?
Literally 'what brings you here?' — the standard doctor's opener, in formal usted. Answer with your main symptom plus duration and you've given exactly what they need: 'llevo una semana con mucha tos'.
What's the difference between 'receta' at the doctor and at a restaurant?
'Receta' means both prescription and recipe — context decides. 'Me va a recetar' = they're prescribing me something; 'la receta' from a doctor is the prescription itself. 'Sin receta' on a medicine box means over-the-counter.
You've read it. Now say it out loud.
Conversations like this one happen every week in live classes with native teachers. That's where reading turns into speaking.
Practice It Live