hospital
standard, Mexico
In Mexico the word for hospital is hospital, spelled the same as in English with a silent h. A smaller private facility is a clínica, and the emergency room is urgencias.
Meaning: medical institution (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| hospital | standard, Mexico |
| Clínica | smaller clinic |
| Urgencias | emergency room |
Mexicans say Voy al hospital or Me llevaron a urgencias. Public care is often linked to institutions like the IMSS, which many people simply call el Seguro.
Which one should you use?
A clínica is usually smaller, and in Mexico many private doctors work in one. Hospital is the full-size institution with beds and surgery.
How do you pronounce it?
Say hospital as "os-pee-TAHL", with the stress on the last syllable and no sound for the h.
Did you know?
- The h in hospital is silent because Spanish dropped the Latin h sound centuries ago, though the spelling stayed.
Examples in context
- Llevaron a mi abuelo al hospital.They took my grandfather to the hospital.
- Estoy en urgencias.I am in the emergency room.
- La clínica abre a las ocho.The clinic opens at eight.
Example conversation
Carmen calls her brother Raúl after her mother is admitted in Mexico City.
- Raúl¿Dónde está mamá?Where is Mom?
- CarmenEn el hospital, en urgencias.At the hospital, in the emergency room.
- RaúlVoy para allá ahora mismo.I am coming right now.
