Spanish · Urgencias / hospital
You say that your chest hurts: what to say in Spanish
You say your chest hurts.
💡
How it's done. Chest pain or difficulty breathing is a reason to call 112 or go straight to urgencias; say it as the first sentence at triage.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Tengo dolor en el pecho y me cuesta respirar.
TAYN-goh doh-LOR en el PEH-choh ee meh koo-ES-tuh res-pee-RAHR.
I have pain in my chest and it's hard to breathe.
THEY SAY
Pase conmigo ahora mismo. ¿Desde cuándo lo tiene?PAH-seh kohn-MEE-goh uh-OH-ruh MEEZ-moh. DEZ-deh koo-AHN-doh loh TYEH-neh?
Come with me right now. Since when?
They might also say:
Venga conmigo, rápido. ¿Cuánto hace que le duele?
BAYN-guh kohn-MEE-goh, RAH-pee-doh. Koo-AHN-toh AH-seh keh leh doo-EH-leh?
Come with me, quickly. How long has it hurt?
2
YOU REPLY
Desde hace media hora.
DEZ-deh AH-seh MEH-dyuh OH-ruh.
For half an hour.
THEY SAY
Le vamos a hacer un electrocardiograma.Leh BAH-mos uh uh-SEHR oon eh-lek-troh-kuhr-dyoh-GRAH-muh.
We'll do an electrocardiogram.
3
YOU REPLY
De acuerdo.
Deh uh-koo-EHR-doh.
All right.
THEY SAY
Tranquilícese, está en buenas manos.Trahn-kee-LEE-seh-seh, es-TAH en boo-EH-nuhs MAH-nos.
Try to calm down, you are in good hands.
4
YOU FINISH
Gracias.
GRAH-syuhs.
Thanks.
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Spanish for life in Spain”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Tengo
TAYN-goh
verb
I have
dolor
doh-LOR
noun
pain
pecho
PEH-choh
noun
chest
cuesta
koo-ES-tuh
verb
costs
respirar
res-pee-RAHR
verb
to breathe
Pase
PAH-seh
verb
come in, go ahead
27 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
¿Puede repetirlo, por favor?
Poo-EH-deh reh-peh-TEER-loh, por fuh-BOR?
Can you repeat that, please?
¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor?
Poo-EH-deh uh-BLAHR mahs des-PAH-syoh, por fuh-BOR?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
¿Qué significa esto?
Keh seeg-nee-FEE-kuh ES-toh?
What does this mean?
Similar situations
Your child fell and hit their headUrgencias / hospital · A2 in the app
→The doctor discharges you and gives you a discharge letterUrgencias / hospital · B1 in the app
→You call an ambulance through 112Urgencias / hospital · A2 in the app
→You wait in the emergency department and ask how much longerUrgencias / hospital · A2 in the app
→Found a mistake? Write to us and we will fix it. This is language help, not medical or legal advice.Report