Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| presión arterial | /pɾesjon aɾteɾjal/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| presión sanguínea | /pɾesjon sanɡinea/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| tensión arterial | /tensjon aɾteɾjal/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| tensión venosa | /tensjon benosa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
This term refers to the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries and veins.
Which one should you use?
While presión arterial and tensión arterial both mean blood pressure, tensión arterial is the more common technical term used by medical professionals in many Spanish-speaking countries. Presión sanguínea is a common way to say blood pressure in a general sense, often used interchangeably with presión arterial in non-clinical settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because presión is a feminine noun, any accompanying adjectives like alta (high) or baja (low) must also be in the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾesjon aɾteɾjal/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying presión de sangre, which is a literal translation from English. Instead, use presión arterial or presión sanguínea.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the phrase tener la tensión alta is used colloquially to describe not just a medical condition, but a state of extreme stress or irritability.
- The word tensión is a doublet of the Spanish word tesón, which means 'persistence' or 'determination'.
- While English speakers 'measure' blood pressure, medical professionals in Spain typically use the verb tomar, as in tomar la tensión, which literally means 'to take'.
Examples in context
- Tom tiene presión arterial alta.Tom has high blood pressure.This sentence shows how to describe having high presión arterial.Tatoeba #1232967 by hayastan, translation #1025374 by CK
- Déjame medir tu presión sanguínea.Let me take your blood pressure.This sentence is useful for the phrase of asking to measure presión sanguínea.Tatoeba #2246110 by marcelostockle, translation #238765 by CK
- Queremos medir tu presión sanguínea.We want to measure your blood pressure.This sentence is useful for the phrase of expressing a desire to measure presión sanguínea.Tatoeba #1458276 by marcelostockle, translation #1750001 by djtait
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A doctor's office during a checkup.
- AlejandroElena, necesito medir tu presión arterial.Elena, I need to measure your blood pressure.
- ElenaEstá bien, Alejandro. ¿Es alta?Okay, Alejandro. Is it high?
- AlejandroNo, tu presión arterial es perfecta.No, your blood pressure is perfect.
- ElenaQué alivio, gracias por decirme.What a relief, thanks for telling me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blood pressure” translations and entries presión arterial, presión sanguínea, tensión arterial, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arterial, presión, tensión, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
