Inklingo

How to Say "symptoms" in Spanish

English → Spanish

síntomas

nounA2medical
Use 'síntomas' when referring to the specific signs or indications of an illness or medical condition a person is experiencing.

Examples

El doctor preguntó cuáles eran mis síntomas.

The doctor asked what my symptoms were.

signos

SEEG-nohs/ˈsiɣnos/

nounB1medical
Use 'signos' for observable, objective indicators of a person's health status, often used in phrases like 'vital signs'.
A close-up of three clear human footprints left in dark, soft mud on a forest path.

Examples

Los doctores monitorearon sus signos vitales durante la operación.

The doctors monitored his vital signs during the operation.

Hay signos de que el clima va a cambiar pronto.

There are signs that the weather is going to change soon.

Estos son signos tempranos de una nueva tendencia.

These are early signs of a new trend.

Fixed Phrases

When talking about health, 'signos vitales' (vital signs) is a very common fixed phrase, always used in the plural.

cuadro

/KWAA-droh//ˈkwaðɾo/

nounB1medical
Use 'cuadro' in a medical context, often as 'cuadro clínico', to describe the overall clinical picture or a set of symptoms and signs that characterize a disease.
A visual representation of data organized into a simple grid structure using varying sized colorful blocks.

Examples

El paciente presentaba un cuadro febril con tos persistente.

The patient presented a clinical picture of fever with a persistent cough.

Incluí un cuadro con las ventas del último trimestre.

I included a chart with the sales from the last quarter.

El doctor analizó el cuadro de síntomas del paciente.

The doctor analyzed the patient's set of symptoms (clinical picture).

Medical Use

In medicine, 'cuadro' is often used to summarize all the physical signs and symptoms of a disease, like saying 'the whole clinical picture'.

Síntomas vs. Signos

Learners often confuse 'síntomas' and 'signos'. Remember that 'síntomas' are what the patient feels (subjective), while 'signos' are what a doctor observes or measures (objective), like vital signs.

Related Translations

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