falta de aire
/falta de aiɾe/from spelling rulesfeminine
Shortness of breath in Spanish is falta de aire. Wiktionary also lists disnea.
Meaning: dyspnea (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| falta de aire | /falta de aiɾe/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| disnea | /disˈnea/ | feminine |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase falta de aire literally translates to lack of air.
Which one should you use?
Falta de aire is the standard colloquial expression used by patients and in everyday conversation to describe the sensation. In contrast, disnea is the technical medical term for dyspnea.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'I am short of breath' or 'I can't catch my breath', you can use the construction me falta el aire.
How do you pronounce it?
/falta de aiɾe/
Did you know?
- Beyond medicine, me falta el aire is often used metaphorically to describe the suffocating feeling of an intense romantic attraction or a sudden panic attack.
- While falta means 'lack' or 'shortage' in the phrase falta de aire, it is also the standard Spanish word for a 'foul' in sports like soccer.
- In Spanish, the word aire does not just refer to the gas we breathe, but is also used to describe a person's distinctive 'manner' or 'aura'.
Examples in context
- El paciente presenta disneaThe patient has shortness of breath
- Me quedé sin aliento, tengo falta de aireI ran out of breath, I have shortness of breath
- No podía respirar, sentía mucho ahogoI couldn't breathe, I felt a lot of breathlessness
- Siento una falta de aire constante.I feel a constant shortness of breath.
- La falta de aire es muy molesta.The shortness of breath is very annoying.
- ¿Tienes falta de aire al caminar?Do you have shortness of breath when walking?
Example conversation
Lucía tells Alejandro she feels unwell during a walk.
- LucíaAlejandro, me siento mal y tengo falta de aire.Alejandro, I feel bad and I have shortness of breath.
- AlejandroDescansa un poco, Lucía. Siéntate aquí.Rest a bit, Lucía. Sit here.
- LucíaGracias, ahora ya puedo respirar mejor.Thanks, now I can breathe better.
- AlejandroEstá bien, vamos más despacio ahora.It's okay, let's go slower now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shortness of breath” translations and entries disnea, 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.
