nervio ciático
/neɾbjo θjatiko/from spelling rules
The English phrase "sciatica nerve" is translated into Spanish as nervio ciático.
nervio ciático refers specifically to the anatomical structure: the longest nerve in the human body that runs from the lower back down each leg.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of nervio (nerve) and ciático (sciatic).
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the anatomy and the condition. Use nervio ciático when referring to the physical nerve, but use la ciática when you want to refer to the medical condition or the pain itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
el nervio ciático is a masculine noun phrase. When you are referring to the specific nerve, you should use the masculine singular article el.
How do you pronounce it?
/neɾbjo θjatiko/
Did you know?
- While nervio ciático describes the anatomy, the word nervios is most commonly used in Spanish to describe anxiety or stress. A person might say tengo nervios to mean they are feeling nervous, not that they have a physical nerve.
- The word ciático is derived from the Ancient Greek word iskhíon, which means 'hip'. This etymology directly links the name of the nerve to the joint where it originates.
- In Spanish, perder los nervios is a common idiom meaning to lose one's temper or panic. It uses the same word for 'nerve' found in nervio ciático but refers to emotional control.
Examples in context
- La presión sobre el nervio isquiático causa dolor en la pierna.Pressure on the sciatica nerve causes leg pain.
- Siento un dolor agudo en el nervio ciático.I feel a sharp pain in the sciatic nerve.
- El médico me revisó el nervio ciático.The doctor checked my sciatic nerve.
- Tengo inflamación en el nervio ciático.I have inflammation in the sciatic nerve.
Example conversation
Javier is telling Lucía why he is walking slowly.
- JavierNo puedo caminar rápido hoy.I can't walk fast today.
- Lucía¿Qué te pasa, Javier?What's wrong, Javier?
- JavierTengo el nervio ciático muy inflamado.My sciatica nerve is very inflamed.
- LucíaDeberías ir al médico, Javier.You should go to the doctor, Javier.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nervio ciático, 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 ciático, nervio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
