cerumen
/θeˈɾumen/masculine
In Spanish, earwax can be said as cerumen, cerilla or cera de los oídos.
Meaning: waxy substance secreted by the ear (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cerumen | /θeˈɾumen/ /seˈɾumen/ |
masculine |
| cerilla | /θeˈɾiʝa/ | feminine |
| cera de los oídos | /ˌθeɾa de los oˈidos/ /ˌseɾa de los oˈidos/ |
feminine |
The term refers to the waxy substance secreted by the ear.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cera de los oídos is a descriptive way to say the term, literally meaning 'wax of the ears'.
Which one should you use?
cerumen is the technical or medical term, while cerilla is a common, everyday way to refer to the substance. cera de los oídos is a descriptive phrase meaning 'wax of the ears'.
How does it change in a sentence?
cerumen is a masculine noun and requires masculine articles such as el.
How do you pronounce it?
/θeˈɾumen/
Did you know?
- The common term cerilla is also the word used for a 'matchstick' in many Spanish-speaking countries.
- The word cerilla is a relative of the Italian word cerino, which refers to a wax match.
- While cerumen is used by doctors, if you use it in casual conversation, you might sound overly formal or clinical.
Examples in context
- El médico revisó mis oídos y eliminó la cera del oído acumulada.The doctor examined my ears and removed the accumulated earwax.
- Antes de realizar la limpieza del oído, es importante conocer la cantidad de cerumen presente.Before performing the ear cleaning, it's important to determine the amount of earwax present.
- Si te pica el oído, puede ser que tengas cerilla acumulada.If your ear itches, it might be because you have accumulated earwax.
- El cerumen puede causar molestias.Earwax can cause discomfort.
- El médico examinó el cerumen.The doctor examined the earwax.
- Hay un exceso de cerumen en el oído.There is an excess of earwax in the ear.
Example conversation
At a medical clinic, Daniel describes his symptoms to María.
- María¿Qué siente en su oído, Daniel?What do you feel in your ear, Daniel?
- DanielSiento mucha presión por el cerumen.I feel a lot of pressure from the earwax.
- MaríaVoy a revisar si hay mucho cerumen.I am going to check if there is a lot of earwax.
- DanielGracias, María.Thank you, María.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “earwax” translations and entries cerumen, cerilla, cera de los oídos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cera, cerilla, de, los, CC BY-SA 4.0.
