incisión
/inθiˈsjon/feminine
The Spanish word for incision is incisión. Wiktionary also lists cisura and incisura.
Meaning: cut (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| incisión | /inθiˈsjon/ /insiˈsjon/ |
feminine |
| cisura | /θiˈsuɾa/ /siˈsuɾa/ |
feminine |
| incisura | /inθisuɾa/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /insisuɾa/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
The word refers to a cut. You can use it to describe a small incision (una pequeña incisión), a considerable incision (una incisión considerable) or to state that the incision is healing (la incisión está cicatrizando).
Which one should you use?
While incisión refers to a surgical or intentional cut, cisura is often used in technical or biological contexts to describe a natural slit or fissure.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries like Mexico, corte quirúrgico is used as a precise variation in formal contexts to mean surgical incision.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun incisión is feminine. Because of this, you must use feminine articles and adjectives, such as la incisión or una incisión profunda.
How do you pronounce it?
/inθiˈsjon/
Did you know?
- The word cisura comes from the Latin scissura, which is the direct ancestor of the English word 'scissors'.
- Spanish speakers often use the verb incidir to mean 'to insist' or 'to fall upon' a topic, which is completely different from the physical act of cutting.
- The adjective incisivo can also be used to describe a person's way of speaking if they are being sharp, biting, or critical.
Examples in context
- El médico realizó una incisión en la piel para extraer el tumor.The doctor made an incision in the skin to remove the tumor.
- Después de la operación, necesitaré suturar el corte quirúrgico en mi rodilla.After the surgery, I'll need to suture the surgical incision on my knee.
- La incisión es muy pequeña.The incision is very small.
- El cirujano hizo una incisión limpia.The surgeon made a clean incision.
- Debes cuidar la incisión para que no se infecte.You must take care of the incision so it doesn't get infected.
Example conversation
A doctor is checking a patient's wound.
- DanielElena, ¿le duele la incisión?Elena, does the incision hurt?
- ElenaUn poco, Daniel, pero es normal.A little, Daniel, but it is normal.
- DanielVoy a limpiar la incisión ahora.I am going to clean the incision now.
- ElenaEstá bien, gracias doctor.That is fine, thank you doctor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “incision” translations and entries incisión, cisura, 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 cisura, incisión, CC BY-SA 4.0.
