alérgico
/aˈleɾxiko/
To say "allergic" in Spanish, use alérgico.
alérgico describes someone who has an allergy. To name what you are allergic to, put a after it, as in alérgico a.
Meaning: having an allergy (adj)
Which one should you use?
In a medical setting you may hear the more formal Padecer alergia, meaning to suffer from an allergy.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective agrees with the person. A woman says alérgica, a group of men or a mixed group is alérgicos and a group of women is alérgicas. Before a masculine noun with el, a and el join into al, as in alérgico al. Before a feminine noun, use alérgico a la.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /aˈleɾxiko/, with the stress on the second syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use de after alérgico. The allergen always follows a.
Did you know?
- The word alérgico shares an ancient root with the English word 'work'. This is because it comes from the Greek érgon, meaning 'work', referring to the body's reaction or work in response to an allergen.
- In Spanish, the noun alergia is often used metaphorically to describe a strong dislike for a type of person, such as having an alergia to liars.
- Beyond medical conditions, Spanish speakers use the root alergia to describe a visceral, instinctive repulsion to specific non-medical triggers like a particular sound or smell.
Examples in context
- Soy alérgico al maíz.I'm allergic to corn.Soy alérgico al maíz means I am allergic to corn.Tatoeba #4428652 by Shishir, translation #4428228 by CK
- Soy alérgico al kiwi.I am allergic to kiwi.al kiwi is the contracted form used before the name of the fruit.Tatoeba #8605556 by User87977, translation #8775529 by User87977
- Tom es alérgico al maní.Tom is allergic to peanuts.Here es alérgico al maní says Tom is allergic to peanuts.Tatoeba #1306084 by marcelostockle, translation #1025107 by CK
- Soy alérgico/a a los cacahuetesI am allergic to peanuts
- Tengo alergia al polenI have an allergy to pollen
- Padezco alergia a los gatosI suffer from an allergy to cats
- Estoy alérgico/a a los mariscosI am allergic to shellfish
- Tengo una alergia severaI have a severe allergy
- Soy alérgico/a al camarónI am allergic to shrimp
- Tengo alergia al polvoI have an allergy to dust
- Me da alergia el cacahuetePeanuts give me an allergy
- Estoy alérgico/a a los ácarosI am allergic to dust mites
- Tengo una alergia severa a los frutos secos, por favor, asegúrese de que no hay ninguno en la comida.I have a severe allergy to nuts, please make sure there are none in the food.
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are at a restaurant looking at the menu.
- Mateo¿Eres alérgica a algo?Are you allergic to anything?
- ElenaSí, soy alérgica a la nuez.Yes, I am allergic to walnuts.
- MateoYo soy alérgico al marisco.I am allergic to shellfish.
- ElenaEntonces debemos tener cuidado.Then we must be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “allergic” translations and entries alérgico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alérgico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
