frecuencia cardíaca
/fɾekwenθja kaɾdiaka/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English phrase 'heart rate' can be translated into Spanish as frecuencia cardíaca. Wiktionary also lists ritmo cardiaco and tasa cardiaca.
Meaning: number of heart beats per unit of time (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| frecuencia cardíaca | /fɾekwenθja kaɾdiaka/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /fɾekwensja kaɾdiaka/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| ritmo cardiaco | /ritmo kaɾdjako/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| tasa cardiaca | /tasa kaɾdjaka/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
The term refers to the number of heart beats per unit of time. If you are discussing a specific numerical value, it is common to use the phrase latidos por minuto (beats per minute).
Which one should you use?
frecuencia cardíaca is the most precise medical term. ritmo cardíaco is another way to express the concept, and tasa cardiaca is also used.
How does it change in a sentence?
frecuencia cardíaca is a feminine noun phrase and requires feminine adjectives. ritmo cardíaco is a masculine noun phrase and requires masculine adjectives.
How do you pronounce it?
/fɾekwenθja kaɾdiaka/
Did you know?
- When describing a racing heart due to nerves or love, Spanish speakers often use the phrase me late el corazón a mil, literally saying their heart is beating 'at a thousand'.
- The word ritmo shares an ancient ancestor with the Greek word for 'flowing', meaning that the concept of a rhythmic heart rate is etymologically linked to the idea of a continuous flow.
- While English speakers often use 'rate' for many different statistics, using tasa in Spanish can sometimes feel more like a 'tax' or a formal 'assessment' due to its linguistic roots in 'tasar', which means to value or appraise.
Examples in context
- La frecuencia cardíaca de este paciente es de 80 latidos por minuto.The heart rate of this patient is 80 beats per minute.
- Tu frecuencia cardíaca es muy alta.Your heart rate is very high.
- Mido mi frecuencia cardíaca antes de correr.I measure my heart rate before running.
- La frecuencia cardíaca disminuye durante el descanso.The heart rate decreases during rest.
Example conversation
At a gym after a workout.
- Sofía¿Cómo está tu frecuencia cardíaca, Javier?How is your heart rate, Javier?
- JavierEstá bajando poco a poco.It is going down little by little.
- SofíaEs importante que se mantenga estable.It is important that it stays stable.
- JavierTienes razón, Sofía. Gracias por el consejo.You are right, Sofía. Thanks for the advice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heart rate” translations, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries frecuencia, ritmo, tasa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
