orzuelo
/oɾˈθwelo/
The English phrase "eye stye" is translated into Spanish as orzuelo.
An eye stye is a small, painful red bump that grows on the edge of the eyelid.
Which one should you use?
While orzuelo is the standard term, you may also encounter the informal expressions Perrilla or Granito en el ojo (literally "pimple in the eye").
How do you pronounce it?
/oɾˈθwelo/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, there is a folk belief that an orzuelo is caused by 'looking at things one should not see'.
- The informal term perrilla literally means 'little dog'. While it refers to a stye, the connection to dogs is a colloquialism rather than a literal description.
- The word orzuelo is etymologically linked to 'barley'. It comes from the Latin 'hordeum', suggesting the bump resembles a small grain of barley.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, ¿tiene algún consejo para tratar un orzuelo en mi ojo?Excuse me, do you have any advice for treating an eye stye in my eye?
- ¡Ay, me salió una perrilla en el ojo!Oh no, I got an eye stye!
- Tengo un orzuelo en el ojo izquierdo.I have a stye in my left eye.
- Ese orzuelo parece bastante doloroso.That stye looks quite painful.
- Me salió un orzuelo ayer.I got a stye yesterday.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking at home.
- MateoElena, mira mi párpado, creo que es un orzuelo.Elena, look at my eyelid, I think it's a stye.
- ElenaSí, Mateo, se ve muy rojo e inflamado.Yes, Mateo, it looks very red and swollen.
- Mateo¿Me duele mucho el orzuelo o es normal?Does the stye hurt a lot or is this normal?
- ElenaEs normal, ponte una compresa caliente.It's normal, put on a warm compress.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry orzuelo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries orzuelo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
