amígdalas
/amiɡdalas/from spelling rules
The English phrase "tonsils" is amígdalas in Spanish.
amígdalas refers to the two small masses of lymphoid tissue located at the back of the throat. In certain contexts, speakers may also use the word garganta, which means "throat", to refer to the tonsils.
How do you pronounce it?
/amiɡdalas/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word amígdalas shares the same root as the word almendra, which means 'almond'. Both terms describe the almond-like shape of the tissue in the throat.
- If you have a painful infection in your tonsils, you might tell a friend tengo las anginas instead of using the anatomical term. This colloquialism is very common in daily conversation across many Spanish-speaking countries.
- In Spanish, the word amígdalas can be used to refer to both the palatine tonsils and the adenoids, whereas English typically treats them as distinct structures.
Examples in context
- Le dolían tanto las amígdalas que tuvimos que llevarlo al médico.His tonsils hurt so much that we had to bring him to the doctor.This sentence is useful for describing a situation where someone's amígdalas were causing significant pain.Tatoeba #10188003 by saverius, translation #13179272 by frpzzd
- El doctor revisó sus amígdalas con la linterna.The doctor checked her tonsils with the flashlight.
- Tiene las amígdalas muy inflamadas por la infección.His tonsils are very swollen due to the infection.
Example conversation
A woman is asking her brother about his health.
- MateoElena, ¿te duelen las amígdalas?Elena, do your tonsils hurt?
- ElenaSí, Mateo, me cuesta mucho tragar.Yes, Mateo, I have a lot of trouble swallowing.
- MateoTal vez necesites medicina para las amígdalas.Maybe you need medicine for your tonsils.
- ElenaEs verdad, iré a la farmacia ahora.That's true, I will go to the pharmacy now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
