soy médico
/soi mediko/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am a doctor" is translated into Spanish as soy médico.
This phrase is used to state your profession as a physician. If the speaker is female, the phrase soy médica should be used. You can also use the phrase soy doctor to refer to a medical doctor. For stylistic purposes or to add emphasis, you may switch the word order to Médico soy or Doctor(a) soy.
Meaning: I am a doctor (a physician) (phrase)
Which one should you use?
The phrase soy médico uses the verb ser because being a doctor is considered a defining characteristic or profession rather than a temporary state. While médico is the precise term for a physician, doctor is also commonly used in many Spanish-speaking regions.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the speaker is female, the noun médico changes to the feminine form médica. To negate the phrase and say "I am not a doctor", place no before the verb: no soy médico.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly include the indefinite article un (a) when stating their profession in Spanish. Instead of saying soy un médico, you should typically omit the article and say soy médico.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, doctor is used as a respectful title for any lawyer or PhD holder, not just medical physicians.
- The word médico shares an ancient root with the English word 'measure', as both descend from the Proto-Indo-European root *med- which relates to taking care of or measuring things.
- While soy médico is the standard way to state a profession, adding the article un as in soy un médico often implies you are 'a certain kind' of doctor, usually followed by an adjective.
Examples in context
- Soy médico, especializado en pediatría.I am a doctor, specialized in pediatrics.
- Soy médico y me encanta mi trabajo.I am a doctor, and I love my job.
- Soy doctora en medicina, especializada en oncología.I am a doctor in medicine, specialized in oncology.
- Soy médico en un hospital grande.I am a doctor in a large hospital.
- No soy profesor, soy médico.I am not a teacher, I am a doctor.
- Por fin, soy médico.Finally, I am a doctor.
Example conversation
Mateo introduces himself to Maria at a party.
- Mateo¡Hola! Soy Mateo.Hi! I am Mateo.
- MaríaHola, Mateo. ¡Mucho gusto!Hi, Mateo. Nice to meet you!
- MateoSoy médico, trabajo en la clínica.I am a doctor, I work at the clinic.
- MaríaQue interesante, yo soy enfermera.How interesting, I am a nurse.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I am a doctor” 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 médico, soy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
