caries
dental, neutral
A cavity is caries in Mexican Spanish, and one cavity is una caries. The word is the same in singular and plural. It is also called picadura.
Meaning: tooth decay (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| caries | dental, neutral |
| picadura | informal |
| una caries | singular |
At the dentist you hear Tiene una caries or Tiene varias caries. For the verb, curar una caries means to fill a cavity.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word caries is feminine. It does not change in the plural: las caries.
Did you know?
- Dentists in Spanish speaking countries use caries for the decay itself, so no separate plural form exists.
Examples in context
- Tengo una caries en esta muela.I have a cavity in this tooth.
- El dentista me curó la caries.The dentist filled my cavity.
- Cepíllate para evitar las caries.Brush your teeth to avoid cavities.
Example conversation
Rebeca visits the dentist, Dr. Salas, in León.
- Dr. SalasTiene una caries pequeña.You have a small cavity.
- Rebeca¿Me va a doler?Will it hurt?
- Dr. SalasPoquito, pero la curamos hoy.A little, but we will fix it today.
