Qué vas a aprender
- Abrir una conversación sobre describir síntomas con una frase clara y adecuada al contexto.
- Usar vocabulario específico de describir síntomas para dar o pedir la información central.
- Confirmar nombres, números, tiempos o próximos pasos sin depender de traducciones literales.
- Pedir aclaraciones y reformular cuando no entendés una parte de la respuesta.
- Cerrar el intercambio dejando claro qué va a pasar después.
Vocabulario esencial
alergia
“I have an allergy to peanuts.”receta médica
“Do I need a prescription for this medicine?”instrucción
“Could you repeat the instruction?”clínica
“The clinic opens at eight.”fiebre
“I’ve had a fever since last night.”síntoma
“When did the symptom first appear?”tos
“I’ve had a cough for three days.”emergencia
“I need help — it’s an emergency.”seguro
“Is insurance included?”prueba / examen
“Could you explain what ‘test’ means here?”hinchazón
“There is some swelling around my ankle.”restricción alimentaria
“I have a dietary restriction.”Frases que realmente podés usar
I’ve had these symptoms for two days.
The pain is mostly on this side.
I’m allergic to…
How often should I take it?
Could you repeat the instructions, please?
Could you write that down for me?
Do you need my insurance details?
The pain started…
Would you mind saying that one more time?
Is there a deadline I should know about?
Could you walk me through that step?
Is there anything else I need to bring or prepare?
Who should I contact if I have another question?
Diálogo realista
Patient: I’ve had these symptoms for two days.
Staff member: Okay. Thanks for explaining that.
Patient: The pain is mostly on this side.
Staff member: Thank you. I’ve noted that information.
Patient: Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you say it again?
Staff member: Of course. I’ll say it more slowly.
Patient: I’m allergic to peanuts.
Staff member: Thanks for telling me. I’ll make a note of that.
Patient: How often should I take it?
Staff member: Of course. I’ll help you explain that clearly.
Patient: Could you repeat the instructions, please?
Staff member: Of course. I can help with that.
Patient: Before we finish, I want to make sure I understood the important part.
Staff member: Of course. Repeat the key information in your own words, and I’ll tell you if anything needs correcting.
Patient: Okay. If I miss a word, is it fine to ask the other person to repeat just that part?
Staff member: Absolutely. You can ask them to repeat it, say it more slowly, or write it down if that would help.
Patient: That’s useful. I sometimes understand the general idea but worry that I missed one important detail.
Staff member: That happens often. Focus first on names, times, numbers, places, and the action you need to take next.
Patient: So I don’t need to understand every single word to keep the conversation moving.
Staff member: Exactly. A short clarification question is usually better than guessing or staying silent.
Patient: And if I need a moment to think, can I say something like “Let me check”?
Staff member: Yes. “Let me check,” “Give me a second,” and “Just to confirm” are all natural ways to buy a little time.
Patient: Great. I feel much more confident about handling this kind of conversation now.
Staff member: Good. Keep the useful phrases short, practise them out loud, and adapt them to the details you actually need.
Patient: No, that covers it. Thanks for your help.
Staff member: You’re welcome. Have a good day.
Cómo suena en inglés natural
Escuchá la función, no cada palabra
En una conversación sobre describir síntomas, identificá primero si la otra persona está pidiendo un dato, confirmando algo o indicando un próximo paso. Esa función te ayuda a responder incluso si no entendiste una palabra secundaria.
Confirmar es parte de una conversación natural
Si una respuesta contiene mucha información, repetí solo el dato importante con una pregunta corta. Eso mantiene el intercambio ágil y claro.
Usá bloques de lenguaje reutilizables
No memorices el diálogo completo. Elegí dos frases del bloque anterior y combinalas con vocabulario como “allergy”, “prescription” o “instruction”. Así podés adaptarte si la conversación cambia.
Errores comunes de hispanohablantes
✕ I have a doubt about this.
✓ I have a question about this.
Para una consulta concreta, “I have a question” es la opción natural.
✕ Can you repeat me that?
✓ Could you repeat that, please?
Con repeat, lo natural es usar directamente el objeto: “repeat that”.
✕ I need that you explain it.
✓ I need you to explain it.
Después de need se usa “person + to + verb”: “I need you to explain it”.
✕ What means this?
✓ What does this mean?
En preguntas con mean se usa el auxiliar does: “What does this mean?”
Mini práctica
Respondé las seis actividades. La corrección aparece en el momento y al final vas a ver tu resultado.