Hospital in Spanish is “hospital”—the same spelling as in English, but pronounced with Spanish pronunciation: os-pee-TAL. The “h” is silent, and the stress falls on the final syllable, tal Most people skip this — try not to..
Introduction to “Hospital” in Spanish
If you are learning Spanish, one of the most useful words to know is hospital. And it is important for travel, medical situations, school conversations, and everyday vocabulary. The Spanish word for hospital is hospital, which is a cognate—a word that looks and sounds similar in both English and Spanish.
In Spanish, you say hospital with the same basic spelling, but the pronunciation is different. Because of that, the Spanish h is silent, so hospital is pronounced like os-pee-TAL. It is a masculine noun, so it usually uses the article el or un: el hospital means “the hospital,” and un hospital means “a hospital.
This word is simple, but understanding how to use it correctly can help you communicate in real-life situations. Whether you need to ask for directions, explain that someone is sick, or talk about medical care, knowing how to say hospital in Spanish is essential.
No fluff here — just what actually works.
How Do You Say “Hospital” in Spanish?
The direct translation of hospital into Spanish is:
hospital
Examples:
- I need a hospital. → Necesito un hospital.
- The hospital is near here. → El hospital está cerca de aquí.
- She works at the hospital. → Ella trabaja en el hospital.
- They went to the hospital. → Ellos fueron al hospital.
The word is spelled the same in Spanish and English, but it follows Spanish pronunciation rules. In Spanish, the letter h is silent in almost all cases. That means hospital does not begin with an “h” sound.
Pronunciation of “Hospital” in Spanish
The pronunciation of hospital is:
os-pee-TAL
Here is a breakdown:
- hos → pronounced like os
- pi → pronounced like pee
- tal → pronounced like tal, with the stress on tal
A helpful tip is to ignore the h when pronouncing the word. This leads to do not say “hoss-pi-tal” in Spanish. Instead, say os-pee-TAL.
The stress falls on the last syllable because the word ends in a vowel and does not have a written accent mark. In Spanish, many words that end in a vowel are naturally stressed on the second-to-last syllable, but hospital is an exception because the stress is on the final syllable: os-pee-TAL That's the part that actually makes a difference..
Is “Hospital” Masculine or Feminine in Spanish?
In Spanish, hospital is a masculine noun. Even though many Spanish nouns ending in -o are masculine, hospital is masculine because it ends in -l, and it takes the masculine article el No workaround needed..
Use:
- el hospital = the hospital
- un hospital = a hospital
Do not use:
- la hospital
- una hospital
For example:
-
El hospital está abierto.
The hospital is open. -
Un hospital nuevo abrió sus puertas.
A new hospital opened its doors The details matter here..
This is important because articles in Spanish must match the gender of the noun. Since hospital is masculine, you use el and un That's the part that actually makes a difference. Surprisingly effective..
Common Spanish Phrases with “Hospital”
Knowing the word hospital becomes more useful when you learn common phrases. Here are several important expressions And that's really what it comes down to..
Go to the hospital
Ir al hospital means “to go to the hospital.”
Example:
- Voy al hospital.
I am going to the hospital.
At the hospital
En el hospital means “at the hospital.”
Example:
- Mi hermano está en el hospital.
My brother is at the hospital.
From the hospital
Del hospital means “from the hospital.”
Example:
- Salí del hospital esta mañana.
I left the hospital this morning.
Hospital emergency room
In many Spanish-speaking countries, the emergency room is called:
- la sala de emergencias
- los urgencias
- la emergencia
Example:
- Necesito ir a la sala de emergencias.
I need to go to the emergency room.
Hospital patient
A hospital patient is:
- el paciente for a male patient
- la paciente for a female patient
Example:
-
El paciente necesita descanso.
The patient needs rest Most people skip this — try not to. Nothing fancy.. -
La paciente está estable.
The female patient is stable.
Hospital bed
A hospital bed is:
la cama hospitalaria
Example:
- El paciente está en una cama hospitalaria.
The patient is in a hospital bed.
Hospital doctor
A hospital doctor can be called:
el médico del hospital or la médica del hospital
Example:
- El médico del hospital me examinó.
The hospital doctor examined me.
Useful Medical Vocabulary Related to “Hospital”
Learning hospital in Spanish becomes easier when you connect it to related medical words.
Important related words include:
- enfermedad — illness or disease
- enfermera — nurse
- enfermero — nurse
- médico — doctor
- paciente — patient
- medicina — medicine
- urgencias — emergency room
- cirujano — surgeon
- radiografía — X-ray
- diagnóstico — diagnosis
- tratamiento — treatment
Using Medical Vocabulary in Context
Now that you are familiar with the related medical words, let us see how they work together in everyday situations Which is the point..
Describing Symptoms
When visiting a hospital, you may need to describe how you feel. Here are some useful phrases Worth keeping that in mind..
Tengo dolor means "I have pain."
Example:
- Tengo dolor de cabeza.
I have a headache.
Me duele means "it hurts" or "I am sore."
Example:
- Me duele el estómago.
My stomach hurts.
Other common symptoms include:
- fiebre — fever
- tos — cough
- resfriado — cold
- alergia — allergy
- infección — infection
Example:
- Tengo fiebre y tos.
I have a fever and a cough.
Medical Procedures
Hospitals perform many procedures. Knowing the vocabulary helps you understand what is happening And it works..
- cirugía — surgery
- examén — exam or test
- operación — operation
- inyección — injection
- receta — prescription
Example:
-
El cirujano va a hacer una cirugía mañana.
The surgeon is going to perform surgery tomorrow Surprisingly effective.. -
Necesito una inyección.
I need an injection.
Talking About Treatment
After a diagnosis, the doctor will discuss treatment Worth keeping that in mind..
El tratamiento refers to the plan for recovery And that's really what it comes down to..
Example:
- El tratamiento incluye medicina y descanso.
The treatment includes medicine and rest.
La receta is what the doctor gives you so you can buy medicina at a pharmacy.
Example:
- El médico me dio una receta.
The doctor gave me a prescription.
Hospital Conversations
Here is a short dialogue that puts everything together.
Patient: Buenos días. Me duele mucho la garganta y tengo fiebre.
Good morning. My throat hurts a lot and I have a fever.
Doctor: Déjeme ver. Voy a hacer un examen.
Let me see. I am going to run a test.
Patient: ¿Es algo grave?
Is it something serious?
Doctor: No, es una infección. Le voy a dar una receta para la medicina.
No, it is an infection. I am going to give you a prescription for medicine.
Patient: Gracias, doctor.
Thank you, doctor.
This dialogue shows how the vocabulary you have learned fits naturally into real conversations at a hospital Simple, but easy to overlook..
Conclusion
Understanding hospital in Spanish is about much more than just one word. By learning its correct gender, mastering common phrases like ir al hospital and en el hospital, and connecting it to related medical vocabulary such as paciente, médico, tratamiento, and urgencias, you build a strong foundation for communicating in health-related situations. Practice these words and phrases regularly, and you will feel confident the next time you need to talk about hospitals and medical care in Spanish Worth keeping that in mind..
