Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| medicina | /mediˈθina/ /mediˈsina/ |
feminine |
| medicamento | /medikaˈmento/ | masculine |
| remedio | /reˈmedjo/ | masculine |
| fármaco | /ˈfaɾmako/ | masculine |
All forms of these words refer to a substance used to promote healing, though they vary significantly depending on whether you are discussing a clinical drug, a scientific substance or a home remedy.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the context of the treatment. medicamento is often used in more technical, pharmaceutical or clinical contexts to refer to a specific drug or medication, whereas fármaco is a highly technical term used in scientific or pharmacological contexts to refer to a drug or active substance. remedio often implies a remedy, a home cure or a solution to a problem, rather than a strictly clinical pharmaceutical product. medicina is the general term for medicine.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
medicina is a feminine noun, while medicamento, remedio and fármaco are all masculine nouns. The verb medicinar can be used to express the action of treating with medicine.
How do you pronounce it?
/mediˈθina/
Did you know?
- The word fármaco shares a direct ancestor with the English word 'pharmacy' and the Ancient Greek word phármakon, which originally could mean either a healing potion or a poison.
- The word remedio can describe much more than a physical substance, as it is frequently used to mean a 'solution' or 'fix' for an abstract problem or an unpleasant situation.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the word remedio is frequently used in the phrase remedio casero to describe traditional folk cures like herbal teas or honey and lemon.
Examples in context
- No tomo ningún remedio.I don't take any medicine.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are not taking any remedio.Tatoeba #2615089 by Quielin, translation #2674732 by CK
- La medicina sabe amarga.The medicine tastes bitter.This sentence is useful for describing the taste of a medicina.Tatoeba #1340438 by marcelostockle, translation #43550 by CK
- Esta medicina te ayudará.This medicine will help you.This sentence is useful for stating that a certain medicina will provide help.Tatoeba #1815293 by Shishir, translation #413825 by CK
- El doctor me recetó la medicina para el dolor de cabeza.The doctor prescribed the medicine for the headache.
- La farmacología estudia los efectos de los fármacos en el cuerpo humano.Pharmacology studies the effects of drugs on the human body.
- Me duele mucho la garganta, ¿tienes algún medicamento para el dolor?My throat hurts a lot, do you have any medicine for the pain?
- Si tienes malestar estomacal, un buen remedio puede ser una infusión de manzanilla.If you have stomach discomfort, a good remedy could be a chamomile infusion.
- Me recetaron unas pastillas para controlar la presión alta.They prescribed me some pills to control high blood pressure.
- Necesito comprar el medicamento para la diabetes en la farmacia.I need to buy the medicine for diabetes at the pharmacy.
- 203 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María is checking on Mateo, who is feeling unwell at home.
- María¿Te has tomado la medicina?Have you taken the medicine?
- MateoNo, todavía no he tomado la medicina.No, I haven't taken the medicine yet.
- MaríaDebes tomar la medicina ahora.You must take the medicine now.
- MateoEstá bien, la tomaré enseguida.Alright, I will take it right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “medicine” translations and entries medicina, medicamento, remedio, fármaco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fármaco, medicamento, medicina, remedio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
