How to Say "wound" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “wound” is “herida” — use 'herida' for a general physical injury, like a cut, scrape, or gash, that breaks the skin..
herida
eh-REE-dah/eˈɾiða/
Examples
Necesitas limpiar bien la herida para evitar una infección.
You need to clean the wound well to avoid an infection.
Después del accidente, le pusieron puntos en la herida.
After the accident, they put stitches in the injury.
Always Feminine
Even though many words ending in '-a' are feminine, remember that 'herida' always uses feminine articles (la herida, una herida).
Confusing Noun and Adjective
Mistake: “La herida mujer (The wound woman)”
Correction: La mujer herida (The wounded woman). 'Herida' works as an adjective when describing someone, but as a noun when it's the injury itself.
lesión
Examples
El jugador tiene una lesión en el tobillo.
The player has an injury in his ankle.
trauma
TRAU-mah/ˈtɾau̯.ma/
Examples
El paciente ingresó con un trauma craneal grave después de la caída.
The patient was admitted with severe cranial trauma after the fall.
Los paramédicos evaluaron el trauma en la pierna del ciclista.
The paramedics assessed the injury to the cyclist's leg.
Medical Context
In medical settings, 'trauma' often acts as a category of injury. You will hear phrases like 'unidad de trauma' (trauma unit) or 'centro de trauma' (trauma center).
Herida vs. Lesión
Related Translations
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