caries
/ˈkaɾjes/
In Spanish, the term for tooth cavity is caries.
The word caries refers to a permanently damaged area in the tooth caused by decay. While caries is the most common way to refer to the condition of decay, una cavidad dental can be used to describe the physical hole itself.
Which one should you use?
caries is the general term for the condition, whereas una cavidad dental is used to describe the actual physical cavity or hole. For more formal contexts, you may also encounter Carie dental, Cavidad dental or Lesión cariosa.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, caries is the most widespread term. In Mexico, the phrase hoyo en el diente can be used to refer to a tooth cavity.
How does it change in a sentence?
caries is a feminine noun and is used in the singular form to refer to a single cavity, such as una caries.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkaɾjes/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly treat caries as a plural noun because of its ending, but in Spanish, it is used as a singular noun to mean 'a cavity'.
Did you know?
- The term caries traces its roots back to the Latin word 'careō', which means 'to be lacking' or 'to be devoid of'.
- A dentist in a formal Spanish setting might describe the condition as lesión cariosa, treating the cavity as a 'lesion' rather than just a hole.
Examples in context
- Creo que tengo un hoyo en el diente, necesito ver a un dentistaI think I have a cavity, I need to see a dentist
- Tengo una caries pequeña en un molar.I have a small cavity in a molar.
- El dentista encontró una caries profunda.The dentist found a deep cavity.
- Las caries pueden causar mucho dolor.Cavities can cause a lot of pain.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are talking at a cafe about a dental appointment.
- María¿Cómo te fue en el dentista, Daniel?How did it go at the dentist, Daniel?
- DanielMal, me dijo que tengo una caries.Bad, he told me that I have a cavity.
- MaríaLo siento, espero que no te duela mucho.I'm sorry, I hope it doesn't hurt much.
- DanielGracias, María, tengo un poco de miedo.Thanks, María, I'm a little scared.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry caries, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caries, CC BY-SA 4.0.
