conjuntivitis
/konxuntiˈbitis/
Pink eye in Spanish is conjuntivitis.
The term refers to an inflammation or infection of the outer membrane of the eye that causes redness and irritation.
Which one should you use?
While conjuntivitis is the precise medical term, ojos rojos is more descriptive of the symptom and used in casual conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
conjuntivitis is a feminine noun, so it is used with feminine articles like la.
How do you pronounce it?
/konxuntiˈbitis/
Did you know?
- Because conjuntivitis is a medical term, Spanish speakers often use the verb pegar (to stick/glue) when talking about its transmission, saying se pegó la conjuntivitis to mean they caught the infection.
- Spanish has a specific word, legaña, for the dried mucus or 'sleep' that accumulates in the corners of the eyes during a bout of conjuntivitis.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, people use the phrase tener el ojo encarnado to describe a severely bloodshot or inflamed eye, using a word that refers to the deep red color of raw meat.
Examples in context
- Me diagnosticaron conjuntivitis. ¿Sabes cómo tratarla?I was diagnosed with conjunctivitis. Do you know how to treat it?
- No puedo ir a la fiesta, tengo ojo rojo.I can't go to the party, I have pink eye.
- Tengo conjuntivitis en el ojo izquierdo.I have pink eye in my left eye.
- La conjuntivitis es muy contagiosa.Pink eye is very contagious.
- El médico me recetó gotas para la conjuntivitis.The doctor prescribed drops for the pink eye.
Example conversation
Daniel tells María why he is wearing sunglasses indoors.
- DanielNo puedo abrir bien el ojo.I can't open my eye properly.
- MaríaParece que tienes conjuntivitis, Daniel.It looks like you have pink eye, Daniel.
- DanielSí, me diagnosticaron conjuntivitis ayer.Yes, I was diagnosed with pink eye yesterday.
- MaríaEspero que te recuperes pronto.I hope you recover soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry conjuntivitis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
