baja médica
/ˌbaxa ˈmedika/feminine
In Spanish, sick leave is translated as baja médica. Wiktionary also lists incapacidad temporal.
Meaning: a type of leave from work (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| baja médica | /ˌbaxa ˈmedika/ | feminine |
| incapacidad temporal | /inkapaθidad tempoɾal/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /inkapasidad tempoɾal/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
The term refers to a type of leave from work. If you want to say that someone is currently on sick leave, you should use the phrase estar de baja. In many contexts, Spanish speakers shorten baja médica to simply la baja.
What does it mean word for word?
In this context, baja refers to a reduction in activity or a state of being 'down' from work.
Which one should you use?
While baja médica is the common term used in daily conversation, incapacidad temporal is the formal, legal or administrative term used in official documents and social security contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When a doctor or an employer officially issues the sick leave, the verb dar (to give) is used in the phrase dar la baja.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌbaxa ˈmedika/
Did you know?
- When an employer or doctor terminates a sick leave, they use the phrase dar el alta. This is the opposite of dar la baja and literally means 'giving the high'.
- In Spanish, the word baja is also used in military contexts to refer to casualties, linking the idea of being 'down' from work with being 'down' in battle.
- While Spain uses baja médica, other Spanish-speaking countries often use licencia médica, which can cause administrative confusion between different regions.
Examples in context
- Él tiene una baja médica por gripe.He has sick leave due to the flu.
- Necesito pedir una baja médica mañana.I need to request sick leave tomorrow.
- La baja médica es de dos semanas.The sick leave is for two weeks.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking at the office.
- Sofía¿Dónde está Juan hoy?Where is Juan today?
- MateoTiene una baja médica por gripe.He has sick leave due to the flu.
- Sofía¿Por cuánto tiempo estará fuera?How long will he be out?
- MateoSu baja médica es de cinco días.His sick leave is for five days.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sick leave” translations and entries baja médica, 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.
