Soy médico.
I'm a doctor.
At the scene of an accident on a rainy night, this is the line everyone hopes to hear. The job comes straight after soy, with no un.
From Más allá de los sueños · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "doctor" in Spanish
el médico
nounmasculinefeminine: la médicaplural: los médicos
"Doctor" in Spanish is el médico, or la médica for a woman. El doctor and la doctora mean the same thing, and they're the words that go before a name: la doctora Ruiz. To say what someone does, skip the article: Soy médico.
Hear "médico" in real movie scenes
One person says it about himself, one says it about someone else. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Tú no eres médico.
You're not a doctor.
On the beach, a woman looks at the person helping her with suspicion. Someone else's job takes no article either: eres médico.
From Sin salida · Spanish audio
Médico, doctor and the words around them
What to call the doctor, and where you go to see one.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| el médico, la médica | doctor | The usual word for the job: Mi hermana es médica. |
| el doctor, la doctora | doctor | Same meaning. It's also the title before a name and the word you use to address one. |
| ir al médico | to go to the doctor | Al is a + el joined into one word. |
| el médico de cabecera | family doctor, GP | The doctor you see first for everyday health problems. |
| la consulta | appointment, doctor's office | Tengo consulta a las diez means you have an appointment at ten. |
Tip: Talking about a doctor by name, use the article: La doctora Ruiz no está. Talking to her, drop it: Buenos días, doctora Ruiz.
Grammar: el médico, la médica
Four points for talking about doctors.
A man or a woman
el médico for a man, la médica for a woman. Several doctors, or a mix of men and women, are los médicos.The job stands alone
After ser, there's no un: Soy médico. Es médica. With an adjective, un returns: Es un médico muy bueno.The written accent
The é marks the stress: MEH-dee-koh. Without it, medico is a verb form meaning "I medicate".Going to the doctor
Voy al médico. I'm going to the doctor. Here the article stays, merged with a into al.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
¿Es usted médico?
Are you a doctor?
Esta semana el médico no trabaja.
The doctor isn't working this week.
Pero eres médico, ¿no?
But you're a doctor, right?
Tú no eres médico.
You're not a doctor.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Soy un médico
✓Soy médico
Stating your profession after soy needs no un in front of it.
✗Voy a el médico
✓Voy al médico
A and el merge into al, a contraction you use every day.
✗Hola, médico (greeting your doctor)
✓Hola, doctor
To speak to a doctor directly, call them doctor or doctora.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
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How to remember it
Médico looks like medical. Picture the medical person in the room, the one everyone turns to: el médico.
Questions about "doctor" in Spanish
How do you say doctor in Spanish?
El médico, or la médica for a woman. El doctor and la doctora are also correct and very common in speech.
What's the difference between médico and doctor?
Both mean a doctor. Doctor is also the title you put before a name or use when you speak to one: Gracias, doctora.
How do you say "I'm a doctor" in Spanish?
Soy médico, or Soy médica if you're a woman. Spanish has no word for "a" in this sentence.
How do you say "I need a doctor" in Spanish?
Necesito un médico. To get help fast, call out ¡Llamen a un médico!, which means "Call a doctor!"
