píldora
/PEE-dor-ah/
pill
A pill used as medicine.
📝 In Action
El médico me dijo que tomara una píldora después de cenar.
A2The doctor told me to take a pill after dinner.
No me gusta tragar píldoras grandes.
A1I don't like swallowing big pills.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender and Articles
Since it ends in 'a', it is a feminine word. Use 'la' for one and 'las' for many.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Píldora vs. Pastilla
Mistake: "Using 'píldora' for every single type of tablet."
Correction: While very similar, 'píldora' often refers specifically to round, coated pills. 'Pastilla' is a broader term for any tablet or even a bar of soap!
⭐ Usage Tips
Talking about medicine
When talking about birth control, speakers almost always use 'la píldora' on its own.
A small nugget of information.
píldora(noun)
nugget
?a small bit of information
bite-sized lesson
?educational content
,snippet
?brief part of something
📝 In Action
He preparado unas píldoras de aprendizaje sobre gramática.
B2I have prepared some learning nuggets about grammar.
El curso se divide en pequeñas píldoras informativas.
B2The course is divided into small information snippets.
💡 Grammar Points
Figurative Use
Just like in English we say 'a bitter pill to swallow' for bad news, Spanish uses the size of the pill to describe 'bite-sized' knowledge.
⭐ Usage Tips
Professional context
You will often see 'píldoras' in online course descriptions or corporate training.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: píldora
Question 1 of 1
If you are taking an online course that releases 5-minute videos, those videos might be called:
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'píldora' and 'pastilla'?
They are often used interchangeably for medicine. However, 'píldora' usually implies a round shape and often refers specifically to birth control, while 'pastilla' is more general and can even mean a bar of soap or a cough drop.
Does 'la píldora' always mean birth control?
Not always, but in a medical context, if someone says 'tomo la píldora' (I take the pill) without specifying which one, people will assume they mean contraceptive medication.