incontinencia
/inkontinenθja/from spelling rulesfeminine
The English word 'incontinence' is translated into Spanish as incontinencia.
incontinencia refers to the inability to restrain a discharge.
Meaning: inability to restrain discharge (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Spanish-speaking regions, the phrase incontinencia urinaria is used to explicitly specify urinary incontinence.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun incontinencia is feminine and is preceded by the feminine article la, as in la incontinencia.
How do you pronounce it?
/inkontinenθja/
Did you know?
- The term incontinencia verbal is sometimes used in Spanish legal or journalistic contexts to describe a public figure who accidentally reveals secrets by talking too much.
- In older Spanish literature, the term incontinente was often used to describe someone who lacked moral restraint or was given to passion, rather than just physical or verbal symptoms.
- While incontinencia is the technical noun, Spanish speakers commonly use the verb aguantar to discuss the physical act of resisting the urge, which also means 'to endure' or 'to put up with'.
Examples in context
- Mi incontinencia verbal ya me ha traído más de un problema.My verbal incontinence has already caused a few issues for me.This sentence shows an example of using incontinencia to describe verbal incontinence.Tatoeba #8112070 by Seael, translation #10473007 by DJ_Saidez
- La incontinencia urinaria es común en adultos mayores.Urinary incontinence is common in older adults.
Example conversation
At a medical clinic, a woman discusses her symptoms with a male doctor.
- AlejandroMaría, ¿ha sentido algún otro síntoma además de la incontinencia?María, have you felt any other symptoms besides the incontinence?
- MaríaSí, Alejandro, también siento mucha fatiga.Yes, Alejandro, I also feel a lot of fatigue.
- AlejandroEntiendo, voy a pedir unos análisis de sangre.I understand, I'm going to order some blood tests.
- MaríaGracias, doctor, me preocupa mucho mi salud.Thank you, doctor, I am very worried about my health.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “incontinence” translations and entries incontinencia, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
