Inklingo

How to Say "memory loss" in Spanish

English → Spanish

amnesia

/ahm-NEH-syah//amˈnesja/

nounB1general context
Use 'amnesia' when referring to a specific medical condition characterized by the inability to recall past events or personal information, often due to brain injury or illness.
A person looking at a photo album with blank white pages, appearing confused and thoughtful.

Examples

Ella tiene amnesia y no recuerda su nombre.

She has amnesia and doesn't remember her name.

Después del accidente, el conductor sufrió una amnesia temporal.

After the accident, the driver suffered temporary memory loss.

A veces parece que la sociedad tiene una amnesia colectiva sobre el pasado.

Sometimes it seems like society has a collective amnesia about the past.

Always Feminine

Amnesia is a feminine noun, so you always use 'la' or 'una' with it (la amnesia).

The 'A' Rule Exception

Unlike words like 'agua' or 'hambre,' you don't change 'la' to 'el' here because the stress is on the 'ne' (am-NE-sia), not on the first 'a'.

Using the wrong gender

Mistake: “El amnesia es un problema grave.”

Correction: La amnesia es un problema grave. (Because it is a feminine noun that doesn't start with a stressed 'a' sound.)

demencia

/deh-MEN-syah//deˈmen.sja/

nounB2general description of cognitive decline
Use 'demencia' when describing a broader, progressive decline in mental ability, including memory loss, that interferes with daily life, often associated with aging or neurodegenerative diseases.
A colorful puzzle of a human head with a few pieces missing.

Examples

Mi abuelo fue diagnosticado con demencia el año pasado.

My grandfather was diagnosed with dementia last year.

La demencia senil requiere mucha paciencia por parte de la familia.

Senile dementia requires a lot of patience from the family.

Existen diversos tratamientos para retrasar los síntomas de la demencia.

There are various treatments to delay the symptoms of dementia.

Always Feminine

Even if you are talking about a man, 'demencia' is always a feminine word. Use 'la' and 'una' with it.

Using 'de' with Conditions

To specify a type, use 'de' plus the name, like 'demencia de Alzheimer'.

Confusing Nouns and Adjectives

Mistake: “Él está muy demencia.”

Correction: Él tiene demencia (He has dementia) or Él está demente (He is insane). 'Demencia' is the name of the thing, not a word to describe a person directly.

Amnesia vs. Demencia

Learners often confuse 'amnesia' and 'demencia'. Remember that 'amnesia' is a specific symptom or condition of memory loss, while 'demencia' refers to a syndrome of overall cognitive decline that includes memory loss as one symptom among others.

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