Spanish Doctor Appointment Dialogue and Practice

Situation Overview

You have a routine doctor's appointment in a Spanish-speaking clinic. You need to check in, explain your main symptoms, say when they started, answer basic questions about pain and medication, understand the doctor's instructions, and ask when to come back. Clinic staff and doctors usually use polite usted forms, and short clear answers are best.

Simple Dialogue

Speaker	Spanish	English
Paciente	Buenos días. Tengo una cita con la doctora García.	Good morning. I have an appointment with Doctor García.
Recepcionista	Buenos días. ¿Me dice su nombre?	Good morning. Can you tell me your name?
Paciente	Sí, me llamo Ana López.	Yes, my name is Ana López.
Doctora	Hola, Ana. ¿Qué le pasa?	Hello, Ana. What is wrong?
Paciente	Me duele la garganta y tengo fiebre.	My throat hurts and I have a fever.
Doctora	¿Desde cuándo se siente así?	Since when have you felt this way?
Paciente	Desde ayer por la tarde.	Since yesterday afternoon.
Doctora	Voy a examinarle la garganta.	I am going to examine your throat.

Natural Dialogue

Speaker	Spanish	English	Context
Paciente	Buenos días. Tengo cita a las diez con la doctora García.	Good morning. I have a ten o'clock appointment with Doctor García.	A clear check-in phrase at reception.
Recepcionista	Buenos días. ¿Me puede dar su nombre y fecha de nacimiento?	Good morning. Can you give me your name and date of birth?	Reception may ask for identifying information before the visit.
Paciente	Sí, me llamo Ana López y nací el catorce de mayo de mil novecientos noventa.	Yes, my name is Ana López, and I was born on May fourteenth, nineteen ninety.	Useful for confirming your patient record.
Recepcionista	Gracias. Tome asiento, por favor. La doctora la llamará en unos minutos.	Thank you. Please have a seat. The doctor will call you in a few minutes.	Tome asiento is a polite way to say please sit down.
Doctora	Hola, Ana. Pase, por favor. ¿Qué le trae por aquí?	Hello, Ana. Come in, please. What brings you here?	A natural doctor's question asking why you came in.
Paciente	Desde ayer me duele mucho la garganta y esta mañana tenía fiebre.	Since yesterday my throat has hurt a lot, and this morning I had a fever.	Desde ayer gives the starting point of the symptom.
Doctora	Entiendo. ¿Tiene tos o dificultad para respirar?	I understand. Do you have a cough or difficulty breathing?	The doctor checks for related symptoms.
Paciente	Tos, un poco, pero puedo respirar bien.	A cough, a little, but I can breathe well.	A concise answer that separates mild and serious symptoms.
Doctora	¿Ha tomado algún medicamento?	Have you taken any medication?	Ha tomado is the polite present perfect form.
Paciente	Solo he tomado paracetamol para la fiebre.	I have only taken acetaminophen for the fever.	State the medication and why you took it.
Doctora	Bien. Voy a tomarle la temperatura y a mirarle la garganta.	Good. I am going to take your temperature and look at your throat.	The doctor explains the next step before examining you.
Paciente	De acuerdo. ¿Tengo que quitarme la mascarilla?	Okay. Do I need to take off my mask?	A practical question before an exam.
Doctora	Sí, solo un momento. Abra la boca y diga ah.	Yes, just for a moment. Open your mouth and say ah.	Simple exam instructions using commands.
Doctora	Parece una infección leve. Descanse, beba mucho líquido y vuelva si empeora.	It looks like a mild infection. Rest, drink plenty of fluids, and come back if it gets worse.	The doctor gives general care instructions and a warning sign.
Paciente	Gracias. ¿Necesito pedir otra cita o solo llamar si sigo igual?	Thank you. Do I need to make another appointment, or just call if I stay the same?	A useful follow-up question before leaving.

Key Phrases

Phrase	Meaning	Use it for
Tengo una cita con...	I have an appointment with...	Checking in at reception.
¿Me puede dar su nombre?	Can you give me your name?	Understanding a common reception question.
¿Qué le pasa?	What is wrong?	Recognizing the doctor's opening question.
Me duele la garganta.	My throat hurts.	Describing pain in one body part.
Tengo fiebre.	I have a fever.	Naming a common symptom.
¿Desde cuándo...?	Since when...?	Asking or answering when a symptom started.
¿Tiene tos?	Do you have a cough?	Understanding symptom questions from a clinician.
He tomado paracetamol.	I have taken acetaminophen.	Explaining what medication you already used.
Voy a tomarle la temperatura.	I am going to take your temperature.	Understanding a basic exam instruction.
Vuelva si empeora.	Come back if it gets worse.	Understanding follow-up advice.

Grammar in Context

The dialogue uses me duele to describe pain: me duele la garganta. The body part is the grammatical subject, so the verb changes with singular or plural body parts.

Use me duele with one thing: me duele la cabeza, me duele el oído, me duele el estómago. Use me duelen with plural body parts: me duelen los brazos or me duelen las piernas.

The doctor also uses polite commands with usted: tome asiento, abra la boca, descanse, beba mucho líquido, and vuelva si empeora. These are normal in clinic instructions because the relationship is professional.

Speaking Practice

Goal	Model	Your turn
Check in for an appointment	Tengo cita a las diez con la doctora García.	Change the time to nine thirty, eleven fifteen, and three in the afternoon.
Give your name	Me llamo Ana López.	Say your own full name, then spell your last name slowly.
Describe throat pain	Me duele la garganta.	Replace throat with head, stomach, ear, and back.
Use plural pain phrases	Me duelen las piernas.	Say that your arms, eyes, and knees hurt.
Say when it started	Desde ayer por la tarde.	Change it to since this morning, since Monday, and for three days.
Answer symptom questions	Tengo tos, pero puedo respirar bien.	Say you have a cough, fever, nausea, or no fever.
Talk about medication	He tomado paracetamol para la fiebre.	Say that you have taken medicine for pain, fever, allergies, or nothing.
Ask about follow-up	¿Necesito pedir otra cita?	Ask whether you need another appointment, a prescription, or a test.