muerte cerebral
/mweɾte θeɾebɾal/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'brain dead' is translated as muerte cerebral.
muerte cerebral refers to the medical state in which a person's brain has completely stopped functioning. In formal medical or scientific contexts, you may also encounter the phrase Sin actividad cerebral, which means 'without cerebral activity'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say a person 'is brain dead', Spanish speakers typically use the construction está en muerte cerebral (to be in brain death) rather than using an adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
/mweɾte θeɾebɾal/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using cerebro muerto to describe this medical state. muerte cerebral is the correct medical term.
Did you know?
- While English speakers might use 'brain dead' as a common insult for a person acting foolishly, using muerte cerebral in Spanish for the same purpose is rare and can sound inappropriately clinical or even disrespectful.
- While 'brain' in English is often used as a slang term for 'intelligence', calling someone cerebral in Spanish describes someone who is highly analytical or intellectual rather than someone who is 'smart' in a casual sense.
- The word muerte is derived from the Latin word mortem, which also gave rise to the English words 'mortal' and 'mortify'.
Examples in context
- El paciente ha sido declarado con muerte cerebral.The patient has been declared brain dead.
- Los médicos confirmaron la muerte cerebral esta mañana.The doctors confirmed brain death this morning.
- No hay esperanza tras la muerte cerebral.There is no hope after brain death.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are talking in a hospital hallway.
- Alejandro¿Qué te dijo el doctor, Lucía?What did the doctor tell you, Lucía?
- LucíaMe dijo que ya hubo muerte cerebral.He told me there has already been brain death.
- AlejandroLo siento mucho, de verdad.I am so sorry, truly.
- LucíaGracias, Alejandro, por acompañarme.Thank you, Alejandro, for accompanying me.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cerebral, muerte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
