How to Say "stomach" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “stomach” is “estómago” — use this word when referring to the internal organ responsible for digesting food.
estómago
Examples
Me duele el estómago después de comer tanto.
My stomach hurts after eating so much.
barriga
bah-REE-gahbaˈriɣa
Examples
Me duele la barriga después de comer tanto.
My tummy hurts after eating so much.
El bebé tiene una barriga muy tierna.
The baby has a very cute belly.
A Juan le está saliendo barriga porque no hace ejercicio.
Juan is getting a potbelly because he doesn't exercise.
Using 'the' instead of 'my'
In Spanish, when talking about body parts, we usually use 'la' (the) instead of 'mi' (my). Say 'me duele la barriga' (the belly hurts me) rather than 'mi barriga'.
Barriga vs. Estómago
Mistake: “Using 'estómago' for everything.”
Correction: Use 'estómago' for the internal organ and 'barriga' for the visible belly area.
tripa
TREE-pahˈtɾipa
Examples
Me duele la tripa por comer tantos dulces.
My belly hurts because I ate so many sweets.
Al bebé se le escucha el ruido de las tripas.
You can hear the baby's tummy rumbling.
Tengo que hacer ejercicio para bajar la tripa.
I need to exercise to get rid of my belly.
Using 'La' instead of 'My'
In Spanish, when talking about body parts, we usually use 'the' (la) instead of 'my' (mi). Instead of saying 'mi tripa', say 'la tripa' when the owner is already clear.
Always Feminine
Even if a man is talking about his belly, the word is always 'la tripa'. It doesn't change gender based on the person.
Tripa vs. Estómago
Mistake: “Using 'estómago' for everything.”
Correction: Use 'tripa' or 'barriga' for the external belly or general discomfort. 'Estómago' sounds more like a doctor's office term.
vientre
bee-EN-trehˈbjɛn.tɾe
Examples
Me duele el vientre después de comer demasiado.
My belly hurts after eating too much.
El bebé durmió boca abajo sobre el vientre de su padre.
The baby slept face down on his father's stomach.
La bailarina tenía un vientre plano y fuerte.
The dancer had a flat, strong abdomen.
abdominal
ab-do-mee-NALabðomiˈnal
Examples
Tengo un dolor abdominal muy fuerte.
I have a very strong abdominal pain.
El médico me hizo una exploración abdominal.
The doctor did an abdominal examination.
Debes relajar la pared abdominal mientras respiras.
You should relax the abdominal wall while breathing.
One Form for All
This word is the same for both masculine and feminine things. You can say 'el músculo abdominal' or 'la zona abdominal' without changing the ending.
Placement of Adjectives
In Spanish, we usually put 'abdominal' after the thing it describes, like 'dolor abdominal' (pain abdominal), which is the opposite of English.
Using it for 'Stomach'
Mistake: “Me duele el abdominal.”
Correction: Me duele el abdomen or Me duele la zona abdominal.
Organ vs. External Area
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