Describe Basic Symptoms at a Pharmacy
Pharmacy conversations need specific symptoms, duration, and relevant cautions. State where it hurts, how long the problem has lasted, and ask how to use a recommended product.
Learning objective
Describe a minor symptom and understand basic instructions from a pharmacist.
At a pharmacy, name a minor symptom, its location, and duration. Me duele la garganta means My throat is sore, while Tengo tos means I have a cough. The Spanish structures differ, so learn each symptom as a useful whole expression.
Add time with desde hace: Me duele la cabeza desde hace dos días. This presents a problem that began earlier and continues now. For a finished episode, use the past language already learned instead of desde hace, which keeps the symptom connected to the present.
Tell the pharmacist relevant cautions clearly: Soy alérgico or alérgica a la penicilina, or Tomo este medicamento. Then ask how to use a recommended product: ¿Cada cuánto lo tomo? asks how often, and ¿Durante cuántos días? asks for how many days.
This language supports communication, not self-diagnosis. Instructions and product names vary by country and person. For severe, worsening, unusual, or emergency symptoms, seek appropriate medical help rather than relying on a vocabulary lesson or another traveller's recommendation.
Examples
Me duele la garganta desde ayer.
My throat has been sore since yesterday.
The contextual translation connects the continuing symptom to its start.
Tengo tos, pero no tengo fiebre.
I have a cough, but I don't have a fever.
The contrast gives the pharmacist two useful facts.
Soy alérgica a la penicilina.
I'm allergic to penicillin.
Alérgica represents the speaker in this example; another speaker may use alérgico.
¿Cada cuánto uso este producto?
How often should I use this product?
The question asks for frequency without inventing a dose.
Common mistake
- Instead of
- Me duele garganta desde dos días.
- Try
- Me duele la garganta desde hace dos días.
Body-part expressions normally use the article la here. A continuing duration uses desde hace plus the amount of time. The corrected sentence tells the pharmacist both where the pain is and how long it has continued.
Practice
Try it yourself
Play a pharmacy customer. Say your stomach has hurt for three days, mention an allergy to aspirin, and ask how often and for how many days to use a recommended product. Do not invent medical instructions.