neumonía
/neumoˈnia/feminine
Pneumonia in Spanish is translated as neumonía or pulmonía.
Meaning: inflammation of the lungs (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| neumonía | /neumoˈnia/ | feminine |
| pulmonía | /pulmoˈnia/ | feminine |
Both words refer to the inflammation of the lungs. Neumonía is the standard medical term, while pulmonía is used in more general or colloquial contexts.
Which one should you use?
Neumonía is the formal and medical term for the condition. In contrast, pulmonía is often used in common, everyday speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and some Central American countries, pulmonía is used informally to refer to pneumonia.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the word is feminine, you must use the feminine indefinite article una when referring to a case of the illness, such as una neumonía.
How do you pronounce it?
/neumoˈnia/
Did you know?
- The Greek root of neumonía, pneúmōn, is the same ancestor for the English word 'pneumatics', linking a deadly lung infection to the study of compressed air.
- While neumonía is the technical term, a doctor in many Spanish-speaking regions might still use the word pulmonía to ensure the patient understands the gravity of the situation.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, pulmonía is used not just for medical pneumonia but as a general term for any severe chest cold or lung infection.
Examples in context
- No sé por qué no tenemos neumonía todos.I don't know why we don't all have pneumonia.This sentence illustrates the use of neumonía in a general context.Tatoeba #10923612 by Seael, translation #10923601 by CM
- Mi padre cogió una neumonía el mes pasado.My father contracted pneumonia last month.This sentence shows how to describe contracting neumonía.Tatoeba #1427662 by peibolvig, translation #251706 by CK
- ¿Te han hospitalizado alguna vez por una bronquitis o una neumonía?Have you ever been hospitalized for bronchitis or pneumonia?This sentence provides an example of using neumonía when discussing hospitalizations.Tatoeba #10111244 by manufrutos, translation #9851376 by NurseMeeks
- El paciente fue diagnosticado con neumonía y requerirá tratamiento intravenoso.The patient has been diagnosed with pneumonia and will require intravenous treatment.
- El informe médico indica que la pulmonía se ha complicado con una infección secundaria.The medical report indicates that the pneumonia has been complicated by a secondary infection.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are talking about a family member's health.
- ElenaMi abuelo está en el hospital.My grandfather is in the hospital.
- Daniel¿Qué le pasó a tu abuelo?What happened to your grandfather?
- ElenaEl médico dice que tiene neumonía.The doctor says he has pneumonia.
- DanielEspero que se recupere pronto.I hope he recovers soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pneumonia” translations and entries neumonía, pulmonía, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries neumonía, pulmonía, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
