Inklingo

How to Say "patients" in Spanish

English → Spanish

pacientes

pah-see-EN-tehspaˈsjen.tes

NounA1General
Use 'pacientes' when referring to people who are currently receiving medical treatment or care, regardless of their specific condition.
Two children wearing hospital gowns sitting side-by-side on a bed in a medical setting.

Examples

El hospital tiene muchos pacientes nuevos cada día.

The hospital has many new patients every day.

Los pacientes están esperando los resultados de las pruebas.

The patients are waiting for the test results.

Las doctoras dieron de alta a tres pacientes esta mañana.

The female doctors discharged three patients this morning.

Referring to Mixed Groups

If you are talking about a group that includes both male and female patients, you use the masculine plural form: 'los pacientes'.

Confusing Noun and Adjective

Mistake: “Using 'pacientes' to mean 'patience' (the quality).”

Correction: The quality of being patient is 'paciencia'. 'Pacientes' refers only to people or describes people.

enfermos

en-FER-moseɱˈfeɾmos

NounA2General
Use 'enfermos' when referring to people who are sick or ill, often implying they are suffering from a disease or ailment, especially in a hospital setting.
A group of three people, including men and women, sitting quietly on a wooden bench in a simple, brightly colored room. One person is resting their head on their hand, looking fatigued, representing a group of sick people.

Examples

La sala de espera estaba llena de enfermos.

The waiting room was full of sick people (or patients).

Los enfermos necesitan cuidados especiales.

The patients need special care.

Adjectives Become Nouns

In Spanish, you can place the article 'los' or 'las' in front of an adjective to turn it into a noun that refers to the group of people with that quality. 'Los enfermos' means 'the sick people' collectively.

Mixing Singular/Plural

Mistake: “El hospital tiene muchos enfermo.”

Correction: El hospital tiene muchos enfermos. (When referring to many people, you need the plural form.)

General vs. Specific Illness

Learners often confuse 'pacientes' and 'enfermos' by using them interchangeably. Remember that 'pacientes' is broader and refers to anyone receiving medical care, while 'enfermos' specifically means 'sick people'.

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