If you have ever studied Spanish or any other language, you might have heard of the grammar term “Cognateâ€.

If you are just beginning your journey in learning medical Spanish, you might wonder what a cognate is.

Here is a quick lesson on cognates!

There are many terms whose roots sound the same in English as in Spanish, these are referred to as cognates.

You have probably already noticed how close many medical terms are in both English and Spanish, as their roots generally are derived from Latin or Greek.

This is wonderful news, as you can easily add new medical Spanish terms to your already existing vocabulary!

Let’s take a close look at some commonly used medical terms in English and Spanish below.

Words that end in “TION†in English will end in “CIÓNâ€, (pronounced SEE-OWN), in Spanish.

Some further good news is, if a word ends in “CIÓN†in Spanish it is generally feminine, meaning you simply use the article “Laâ€.

Some examples:

Recuperation – La recuperación

Laceration – La laceración

Irritation – La Irritación

Complication – La complicación

Inflammation – La inflamación

Pretty easy right?

Let’s take a closer look at some other commonly used medical terms in English and Spanish that fall under the cognate category.

Words that end in “ITIS†in English will end in “ITIS†(pronounced, EAT-EAS) in Spanish and the bonus is they are also feminine!

Some examples:

Hepatitis – La hepatitis

Arthritis – La artritis

Colitis – La colitis

Bursitis – La bursitis

Gastritis – La gastritis

 

We have one more to share with you!

Words that end in “OLOGIST†in English will end in “OLOGOâ€, (pronounced, OH-LOH-GO/GA) in Spanish.

It is important to be mindful that the article will depend on whether the specialist is male or female.

Some examples:

The cardiologist – El/La cardiólogo(a)

The neurologist – El/La neurólogo(a)

The dermatologist – El dermatólogo(a)

The urologist – El/La urólogo(a)

There are several more lists of cognates, which, you can find in our Complete Medical Spanish book and audio USB.

You may find our book and audio USB on our shop section of our website: www.riosassociates.com/shop/

For those of you planning on participating in any of our CME Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency Classes, you will have the opportunity to learn more cognates, as well as, plenty of other medical Spanish vocabulary, Spanish grammar and cultural competency tips that will assist you in better communicating with your Latino patients.

Even if you are just beginning your journey in medical Spanish, by saying a few words in Spanish to your Latino patients, will help you build that rapport and connect with us.

A little bit goes a long way and we are here to help you in that process!

You may find our schedule of classes for all of our CME Medical Spanish & Cultural Competency Courses at www.riosassociates.com/schedule-registration/

If you would like a description of each course, for your convenience we are providing a link to our CME Medical Spanish & Cultural Competency courses:

Live CME Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency Conferences in the U.S.

www.riosassociates.com/us-courses/

Live CME Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency Conferences in Mexico

www.riosassociates.com/mexico-courses/

CME Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency On-Site Courses

www.riosassociates.com/on-site-courses/

CME Medical Spanish and Cultural Competency Virtual Trainings

www.riosassociates.com/virtual-training-session/

CME Medical Spanish Personalized One-on-One Classes (Webinars)

www.riosassociates.com/personalized-one-on-one-training/

CME CME Medical Spanish Self-Study Program

www.riosassociates.com/self-study-cme/

 

Cuidense mucho…Stay safe and healthy!

Warm regards from Rios Associates