alergias
/aleɾxjas/from spelling rules
The Spanish word for allergies is alergias.
Alergias is used to refer to medical conditions where the body reacts badly to a particular substance. To express that you are allergic to something, the most common construction is tener alergia a followed by the substance.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and some Central American countries, the phrase alergia a los piquetes is used specifically to describe allergies caused by insect bites. In Spain, the adjective alérgico (masculine) or alérgica (feminine) is used to describe a person who suffers from allergies.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of the noun is alergia. When describing a person as being allergic, you should use the adjective alérgico (masculine) or alérgica (feminine) rather than the noun alergias.
How do you pronounce it?
/aleɾxjas/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the noun alergia where the adjective alérgico is required. For example, avoid saying soy alergia and instead say soy alérgico to mean 'I am allergic'.
Did you know?
- While alergia is the standard term, some Spanish speakers use the phrase estoy atacado to describe the physical experience of an active allergy flare-up, literally meaning 'I am attacked'.
- The word alergia can be used figuratively to express a strong dislike for something non-medical, such as saying tengo alergia a los lunes to mean 'I hate Mondays'.
- The word alergia is a relatively modern addition to the language, having been adopted into Spanish from the French allergie and the German Allergie in the early 20th century.
Examples in context
- No sabía que tenías alergias.I didn't know you had allergies.This sentence shows how to express that you were unaware of someone's allergies.Tatoeba #2314231 by marcelostockle, translation #2290387 by CK
- ¿Sufre de alergias estacionales?Do you suffer from seasonal allergies?This question is useful for asking if someone suffers from seasonal allergies.Tatoeba #1068749 by hayastan, translation #682107 by Source_VOA
- Mucha gente se las está viendo con alergias ahora.A lot of people are dealing with allergies now.This sentence describes people currently dealing with allergies.Tatoeba #1233082 by marcelostockle, translation #953073 by CK
- Tengo alergias alimentarias y debo evitar el gluten y los lácteos.I have food allergies and must avoid gluten and dairy products.
- Cada primavera sufro de alergias estacionales, especialmente al polen.Every spring, I suffer from seasonal allergies, especially to pollen.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are talking about their health in the kitchen.
- AlejandroMis alergias son terribles hoy.My allergies are terrible today.
- María¿Te afectan las alergias al polen?Do allergies to pollen affect you?
- AlejandroSí, María, me afectan mucho.Yes, María, they affect me a lot.
- MaríaDeberías tomar una medicina.You should take some medicine.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
