estornudo
/estoɾˈnudo/
To sneeze in Spanish is estornudo.
The term is used to describe the reflex of expelling air from the nose and mouth. In informal contexts, you might hear the term Achís to represent the sound of a sneeze, similar to 'Achoo!' in English.
Meaning: expel air as a reflex (verb)
Which one should you use?
The word estornudo is versatile. It functions as both the first-person singular present tense of the verb (meaning 'I sneeze') and as a masculine noun meaning 'a sneeze'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The infinitive form of the verb is estornudar. When you use the form estornudo, you are using the first-person singular present indicative, which translates to 'I sneeze'.
How do you pronounce it?
/estoɾˈnudo/
Did you know?
- In old Spanish folklore, some believed that a sneeze was the soul momentarily leaving the body, which is why people wish you salud to welcome it back.
- While English speakers say 'Bless you' after a sneeze, in many Spanish-speaking cultures, people say Salud, which literally means 'Health'.
- The Latin root of estornudar is connected to the word 'sternutatory', which is a rare English term for something that induces sneezing.
Examples in context
- Yo estornudo todo el tiempo.I sneeze all the time.This sentence is useful for describing a frequent habit using estornudo.Tatoeba #2695848 by marcelostockle, translation #2094331 by Eldad
- No pude contener el estornudo.I couldn't contain my sneeze.This sentence is useful for describing the inability to control a sneeze using estornudo.Tatoeba #13460440 by Seael, translation #13460493 by carlosalberto
- Estornudo mucho.I sneeze a lot.This sentence is useful for expressing that you sneeze frequently using estornudo.Tatoeba #631780 by Shishir, translation #29987 by CK
- No puedo dejar de estornudar.I can't stop sneezing.
- Mi hermano siempre estornuda después de comer chocolate.My brother always sneezes after eating chocolate.
- ¡Achís! Parece que tengo alergia.Achoo! It seems like I have allergies.
- Mi perro siempre hace achís cuando está resfriado.My dog always goes "achoo" when he has a cold.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are at home during allergy season.
- AlejandroSiempre estornudo cuando hay mucho polvo.I always sneeze when there is a lot of dust.
- SofíaParece que tienes alergia, Alejandro.It seems like you have allergies, Alejandro.
- Alejandro¿Estornudo demasiado fuerte?Do I sneeze too loudly?
- SofíaUn poco, pero no te preocupes.A little, but don't worry.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry estornudo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries estornudo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
