escalofríos
/eskalofɾios/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English word "chills" is translated into Spanish as escalofríos.
escalofríos is a masculine noun used to describe the medical symptom. To express that you are experiencing chills, you should use the verb tener (to have) rather than estar (to be). For example, you would say tener escalofríos to mean "to have chills".
Meaning: medical symptom (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
While the singular form escalofrío exists, the plural form escalofríos is much more common when you are describing the symptom of having chills.
How do you pronounce it?
/eskalofɾios/
When do people say it?
If you want to describe a shiver or goosebumps caused by something eerie, creepy or unsettling, you can use the colloquial word Repelús.
Did you know?
- Although escalofríos describes the chill, the physical 'goosebumps' on the skin are called piel de gallina, which literally translates to 'chicken skin'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if someone has escalofríos, a common home remedy is to wrap them in a manta (blanket) and give them a té de canela (cinnamon tea) to warm the body from the inside.
- While escalofríos refers to the physical sensation, Spanish speakers use the phrase dar escalofríos to describe something that is psychologically terrifying or repulsive, similar to the English 'it gives me the creeps'.
Examples in context
- Los síntomas de la gripe más comúnmente reportados son fiebre, escalofríos, sudoración, astenia, dolor de cabeza y náuseas.The most commonly reported flu symptoms are fever, chills, sweating, asthenia, headache and nausea.This sentence is useful for seeing escalofríos listed among other common flu symptoms.Tatoeba #5606828 by albrusgher, translation #2654516 by gauravjiii
- Se me puso el pelo de punta cuando vi la películaI got chills when I watched the movie
- Me dio un escalofríoI got chills
- Me dio repelús cuando vi esa arañaI got chills/goosebumps when I saw that spider
- Tengo unos escalofríos muy fuertes ahora mismo.I have some very strong chills right now.
- ¿Sientes escalofríos después de la fiebre?Do you feel chills after the fever?
Example conversation
Sofía is checking on Javier, who feels unwell at home.
- SofíaJavier, ¿tienes mucha fiebre?Javier, do you have a high fever?
- JavierSí, y también tengo escalofríos constantes.Yes, and I also have constant chills.
- SofíaVoy a traerte una manta para que estés mejor.I am going to bring you a blanket so you feel better.
- JavierGracias, Sofía, lo agradezco mucho.Thanks, Sofía, I really appreciate it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chills” translations and entries escalofríos, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
