paciente
/paˈθjente/feminine, masculine
The Spanish word for patient is paciente.
paciente refers to someone who receives treatment from a doctor. It can also be used as an adjective to describe the personality trait of not losing one's temper while waiting.
Meaning: someone who receives treatment from a doctor (noun)
Which one should you use?
paciente functions as both the noun for a medical patient and the adjective describing the quality of being patient.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun paciente is the same for both masculine and feminine subjects. The plural form is pacientes.
How do you pronounce it?
/paˈθjente/
Did you know?
- In Spanish medical settings, you will often hear the term paciente used alongside usuario, which means 'user'. This shift reflects a modern cultural trend in Spain to view healthcare as a service provided to a citizen rather than just a treatment for a sick person.
- The word paciente shares the same root as the Spanish word pasión, which refers to 'passion'. Both derive from a Latin root meaning 'to suffer' or 'to endure'.
- Because paciente is an adjective and a noun, it can create playful puns in Spanish literature. A writer might describe a 'patient patient' as un paciente paciente, where the first word is the person and the second is their mood.
Examples in context
- Tom es mi paciente.Tom is my patient.This sentence is useful for identifying a person as a paciente.Tatoeba #2665480 by marcelostockle, translation #2273314 by CK
- Sé paciente con él.Be patient with him.This sentence is useful for using paciente as an adjective.Tatoeba #4442023 by Shishir, translation #3903581 by CH
- Él era muy paciente.He was very patient.This sentence is useful for describing someone's personality using paciente.Tatoeba #1501273 by marcelostockle, translation #523271 by CK
- El médico habló con el paciente sobre su tratamiento.The doctor spoke with the patient about their treatment.
- Mi amiga es muy paciente cuando escucha mis problemas.My friend is very patient when listening to my problems.
- 148 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A doctor and a nurse are discussing a person in the clinic.
- MaríaLa paciente está en la sala de espera.The patient is in the waiting room.
- Alejandro¿Es la paciente de Alejandro?Is she Alejandro's patient?
- MaríaSí, es su paciente de la mañana.Yes, she is his morning patient.
- AlejandroVoy a ir a verla ahora.I am going to go see her now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “patient” translations and entries paciente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
