tiña
/ˈtiɲa/feminine
The English word 'ringworm' is tiña in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists tinea.
Meaning: contagious fungal affliction of the skin (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tiña | /ˈtiɲa/ | feminine |
| tinea | /tinea/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
The term refers to a contagious fungal affliction of the skin.
Which one should you use?
While tiña is the common way to refer to the condition, tinea is a specialized medical term used to discuss the subject.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun tiña is feminine and is typically preceded by the feminine article la (e.g., la tiña).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtiɲa/
Did you know?
- The term tiña is inherited from the Latin tinea, which meant both a 'worm' and a 'clothes moth'.
- In some Spanish speaking regions, tiña is used as a colloquial insult to call someone 'scabby' or 'dirty', moving beyond a medical diagnosis to a social judgment.
- Old Spanish medical texts often paired tiña with sarna in the phrase tiñas y sarnas to group various itchy skin diseases together.
Examples in context
- La tinea corporis es una infección cutánea común que causa sarpullido en forma de anillo en el cuerpo.Ringworm is a common skin infection that causes a ring-shaped rash on the body.
- ¡Qué suerte que la tiña es una infección temporal y puede ser tratada fácilmente!What luck that ringworm is a temporary infection and can be easily treated!
- La tiña es muy contagiosa.Ringworm is very contagious.
- Debes limpiar la zona de la tiña.You must clean the ringworm area.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are talking about a skin rash.
- Javier¿Qué es esa mancha roja?What is that red spot?
- ElenaParece que es tiña.It looks like it is ringworm.
- JavierPobre Elena, debe picar mucho.Poor Elena, it must itch a lot.
- ElenaSí, es muy molesta.Yes, it is very annoying.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ringworm” translations and entries tiña, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tiña, CC BY-SA 4.0.
