Clarifying medicine instructions safely | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. No sé si entiendo esta etiqueta del medicamento.

   I am not sure I understand this medicine label.

   No sé

   I’m not sure

   si

   whether

   entiendo

   I understand

   esta

   this

   etiqueta

   label

   medicamento

   medicine

   More detail

   No sé is a common Spanish construction meaning “I’m not sure” when it introduces uncertainty. sé is the first-person singular present form of saber (“to know”); the negation no makes it “I don’t know.” For example: No sé la respuesta. — “I don’t know the answer.” si introduces the uncertain content here: “whether” or “if.” In No sé si entiendo..., it connects “I’m not sure” with the question of understanding. This si is different from sí with an accent, which commonly means “yes.” entiendo means “I understand” here. It is the first-person singular present form of entender; this verb has the useful present-tense pattern entiendo, entiendes, entiende, while entendemos and entendéis do not have the same stem change. Example: Entiendo la pregunta. — “I understand the question.” esta means “this” and modifies the feminine singular noun etiqueta, so it agrees with that noun in gender and number. It is written without an accent when it is a demonstrative determiner before a noun. Example: esta dosis — “this dose.” etiqueta means “label.” It is a feminine singular noun. In this sentence, it names the label being understood, not the medicine itself. Example: La etiqueta es clara. — “The label is clear.” medicamento means “medicine” or “medication.” In del medicamento, del is the contraction of de + el, expressing the relation “of the medicine.” Thus la etiqueta del medicamento is “the medicine label,” literally “the label of the medicine.” Example: el nombre del medicamento — “the name of the medicine.” Together, No sé si entiendo expresses uncertainty about the speaker’s own understanding. esta etiqueta del medicamento identifies the object of that uncertainty: this particular medicine label. The complete utterance means, “I’m not sure I understand this medicine label.”

2. Llama al farmacéutico antes de tomar la próxima dosis.

   Call the pharmacist before you take the next dose.

   Llama

   call

   farmacéutico

   pharmacist

   antes de

   before

   tomar

   take

   próxima

   next

   dosis

   dose

   More detail

   Llama is the affirmative command form of llamar, “to call.” Its exact form is for tú singular: it addresses one person informally. Compare llamas (“you call” in a statement) with llama (“call!”). Example: Llama a tu hermana. — “Call your sister.” farmacéutico means “pharmacist.” It is a masculine singular noun; the phrase uses al, the contraction of a + el, to mark the person being called. Example: Hablé con el farmacéutico. — “I spoke with the pharmacist.” antes de introduces something that happens earlier: “before.” When it is followed by an infinitive, the pattern is antes de + infinitive. Example: Lávate las manos antes de comer. — “Wash your hands before eating.” tomar is the infinitive “to take.” Here it refers to taking the dose, and its understood subject is the person addressed by Llama. The infinitive does not show person or number. Example: Debes tomar agua. — “You should drink water.” próxima means “next” or “following.” It is the feminine singular form of próximo, agreeing with the feminine singular noun dosis; the adjective, not the noun, carries this gender distinction. Example: la próxima semana — “next week.” dosis means “dose.” In this sentence it is feminine singular, shown by la; the written form dosis is also used for the plural, so the article or another determiner helps show the number. Example: Toma la dosis indicada. — “Take the indicated dose.” Together, Llama al farmacéutico gives the command “Call the pharmacist,” and antes de tomar la próxima dosis specifies that this should happen before taking the next dose. The complete meaning is: “Call the pharmacist before you take the next dose.”

3. También quiero preguntar si debería evitar ciertos alimentos.

   I also want to ask whether I should avoid certain foods.

   También

   also

   quiero

   I want

   preguntar

   to ask

   si

   whether

   debería

   should

   evitar

   to avoid

   ciertos

   certain

   alimentos

   foods

   More detail

   También adds information: “also” or “too.” It does not replace the earlier information; it says this is an additional thing the speaker wants to do. Example: También necesito ayuda. — “I also need help.” quiero is the first-person singular present form of querer, “to want.” The understood subject is yo, as confirmed by the translation. querer commonly takes an infinitive: Quiero descansar. — “I want to rest.” preguntar is the infinitive “to ask.” After quiero, the infinitive expresses the action the speaker wants to carry out: Quiero preguntar. — “I want to ask.” With si, it introduces an indirect yes-or-no question: Quiero preguntar si hay comida. — “I want to ask whether there is food.” Here si means “whether,” introducing the content of the question. This is different from conditional si, “if,” as in Si hay comida, comeré. — “If there is food, I will eat.” debería is the first- or third-person singular conditional form of deber; in this sentence, the subject is understood as yo, so it means “I should.” deber followed by an infinitive expresses what someone ought to do: Debería descansar. — “I should rest.” The conditional form can present the advice as something being considered rather than as a direct command. evitar is the infinitive “to avoid.” It follows debería and names the action under consideration. Example: Debería evitar el sol. — “I should avoid the sun.” ciertos is the masculine plural form of the determiner/adjective cierto, agreeing with the plural masculine noun alimentos. Here it means “certain” or “specific,” not every food. The form changes with the noun: cierta comida — “certain food,” ciertos alimentos — “certain foods.” alimentos is the plural of the noun alimento, “food” or “food item.” Its plural form refers here to certain foods the speaker may need to avoid. Example: Algunos alimentos contienen azúcar. — “Some foods contain sugar.” Together, También quiero preguntar means “I also want to ask,” and si debería evitar ciertos alimentos gives the content of that question: “whether I should avoid certain foods.” The complete utterance therefore means: “I also want to ask whether I should avoid certain foods.”

4. Vale la pena comprobarlo, especialmente si la etiqueta menciona las comidas.

   That is worth checking, especially if the label mentions meals.

   Vale la pena

   it is worth it

   comprobarlo

   check it

   especialmente si

   especially if

   etiqueta

   label

   menciona

   mentions

   comidas

   meals

   More detail

   Vale la pena is the Spanish pattern “it is worth it” or “it is worth doing something.” The useful structure is vale la pena + infinitive: Vale la pena esperar means “It is worth waiting.” Here, vale is the third-person singular present form of valer; the expression presents the activity as worthwhile without naming a personal subject. comprobarlo means “to check it.” It consists of the infinitive comprobar (“to check”) plus the attached direct-object pronoun lo. Lo is singular and can refer to a masculine singular object or to a neuter idea or situation; the supplied sentence and translation do not specify which. With a feminine singular object, the corresponding form would be comprobarla; with plural objects, comprobarlos or comprobarlas, according to gender. Together, vale la pena comprobarlo means “it is worth checking it.” The infinitive names the activity considered worthwhile. especialmente si introduces a condition that receives special emphasis: “especially if.” The pattern especialmente si + clause can be reused in Es útil, especialmente si tienes poco tiempo (“It is useful, especially if you have little time”). Si here means “if,” not the accented affirmative word sí (“yes”). etiqueta is a feminine singular noun meaning “label.” Its plural is etiquetas. In this sentence, la etiqueta is the subject of the clause after si; the article la marks the noun as feminine singular. menciona means “mentions” here. It is the third-person singular present indicative form of mencionar (“to mention”): la etiqueta menciona = “the label mentions.” The ending agrees with the singular subject la etiqueta, not with the plural noun that follows. Example: El informe menciona dos riesgos means “The report mentions two risks.” comidas means “meals.” It is the plural of the feminine noun comida (“meal”); the plural ending -s shows more than one meal. Example: Las comidas están listas means “The meals are ready.” The whole utterance assembles as Vale la pena + comprobarlo + especialmente si + la etiqueta + menciona + las comidas: “That is worth checking, especially if the label mentions meals.” The first part recommends checking the relevant item, and the conditional clause specifies a situation in which that recommendation is especially applicable.

5. Tuve un dolor de cabeza leve después de tomarlo.

   I had a mild headache after taking it.

   Tuve

   I had

   dolor de cabeza

   headache

   leve

   mild

   después de

   after

   tomarlo

   taking it

   More detail

   Tuve is the first-person singular preterite of tener, whose base form means “to have.” Here it describes a completed experience in the past: “I had.” The preterite form identifies the event as completed, while tengo means “I have” in the present. dolor de cabeza is the noun phrase for “headache”: literally, a pain of the head. Dolor is a masculine noun, so a matching adjective would normally use masculine singular agreement, as leve does here. In another useful example, Tengo un dolor intenso means “I have severe pain.” leve means “mild” in this sentence. It is the adjective’s singular form; leve has the same form for masculine and feminine singular nouns, while leves is plural. For example, una molestia leve means “a mild discomfort.” después de introduces something that happens later than another event and means “after.” It is followed here by an infinitive phrase. Después de comer means “after eating,” for example. tomarlo combines the infinitive tomar (“to take”) with the direct-object pronoun lo attached to its end: tomar + lo → tomarlo. The pronoun means “it” here, without the supplied sentence identifying exactly what “it” refers to. With a feminine singular object, the corresponding form is tomarla, as in Después de tomarla — “after taking it.” Together, Tuve un dolor de cabeza leve means “I had a mild headache,” and después de tomarlo places that completed experience after the act of taking it. The complete utterance therefore means: “I had a mild headache after taking it.”

6. Así que debería mencionarlo.

   So I should bring that up.

   Así que

   so; therefore

   debería

   should; ought to

   mencionarlo

   bring that up

   More detail

   Así que links this statement to what came before and means “so” or “therefore.” It presents the following conclusion or consequence. debería is the conditional form of deber (“to have to; to ought to”). In this sentence, it expresses what the speaker thinks they ought to do: “I should.” The conditional form is debería; in the present tense, the corresponding first-person form is debo (“I must / I have to”). With an infinitive, debería + infinitive is a reusable way to express advice or an obligation viewed less directly: Debería descansar means “I should rest.” mencionarlo combines the infinitive mencionar (“to mention”) with the attached direct-object pronoun lo. The pronoun lo is masculine singular and means “it” or “that” here; the fixed translation identifies the object as “that,” but does not specify a more precise referent. Spanish attaches this pronoun to an infinitive, so mencionar + lo becomes mencionarlo. Compare mencionarla when the direct object is feminine singular, and mencionarlos or mencionarlas for plural direct objects. Example: Debo mencionarlo means “I must mention it.” Together, debería mencionarlo means “I should bring that up” or literally “I ought to mention that.” The complete utterance Así que debería mencionarlo means “So I should bring that up.”

7. Pregunta si podría ser un efecto secundario y qué señales de advertencia debes vigilar.

   Ask whether it could be a side effect and what warning signs to watch for.

   Pregunta

   Ask

   podría ser

   could be

   efecto secundario

   side effect

   señales

   signs

   advertencia

   warning

   debes

   you should

   vigilar

   watch for

   More detail

   Pregunta is preguntar in the affirmative command for tú: “ask.” Its form is also identical to the third-person singular present form, but here the fixed translation identifies it as an instruction to ask. Compare pregunta (tú, singular) with pregunte (usted, singular) and pregunten (ustedes, plural). podría ser means “could be.” Podría is the conditional form of poder for this singular subject context, followed by ser (“to be”). The conditional presents the possibility cautiously rather than asserting that it is a side effect. A reusable pattern is podría ser + noun/adjective: Podría ser importante = “It could be important.” efecto secundario means “side effect.” Efecto is a masculine singular noun, and secundario is the adjective agreeing with it in masculine singular. The adjective comes from secundario, “secondary”; its feminine form is secundaria, and plural forms are secundarios and secundarias. señales means “signs” or “signals.” It is the plural of señal, a feminine noun: una señal, dos señales. Here it refers to observable warning signs, not to a signal in a technical or communication sense. advertencia means “warning.” In señales de advertencia, de links the signs with what they indicate: “warning signs.” Advertencia is feminine singular, so the phrase is la advertencia; the plural is las advertencias. debes means “you should” or “you must” here. It is the second-person singular present form of deber, used with tú. Debes vigilar is a common pattern for saying that someone ought to monitor something. The form for usted is debe, and for ustedes it is deben. vigilar means “to watch,” “monitor,” or “keep an eye on.” It is an infinitive after debes; Spanish uses deber + infinitive for an obligation or recommendation. In this sentence, vigilar applies to the warning signs: the intended action is to monitor them. Together, Pregunta si podría ser un efecto secundario means “Ask whether it could be a side effect.” Y qué señales de advertencia debes vigilar adds “and what warning signs you should watch for.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Ask whether it could be a side effect and what warning signs to watch for.”

8. Adivinar parece arriesgado, especialmente con los medicamentos.

   Guessing feels risky, especially with medicine.

   Adivinar

   to guess

   parece

   seems

   arriesgado

   risky

   especialmente

   especially

   medicamentos

   medicines

   More detail

   Adivinar is the infinitive meaning “to guess.” Here it functions as the subject, so Spanish presents the activity as “guessing.” The same pattern is reusable with other infinitives: Esperar ayuda means “Waiting helps.” parece comes from parecer, “to seem” or “to appear.” It is the present-tense third-person singular form. With an infinitive subject, Spanish commonly uses this singular form: Parece difícil means “It seems difficult.” Do not confuse it with parecen, which agrees with a plural noun or plural subject. arriesgado is the masculine singular form of the adjective arriesgado, “risky.” In this sentence it describes the activity adivinar; the masculine singular form is the conventional form used with an infinitive treated as a singular activity. Its feminine and plural forms are arriesgada, arriesgados, and arriesgadas, agreeing with the noun they describe: una decisión arriesgada means “a risky decision.” especialmente is an adverb meaning “especially” or “particularly.” It highlights the following situation without excluding the broader statement. For example, Es difícil, especialmente al principio means “It is difficult, especially at the beginning.” medicamentos is the plural of the noun medicamento, “medicine” or “medication.” The plural article and noun appear in the phrase los medicamentos; los marks the noun phrase as masculine plural. The preposition con means “with” here, giving the sense “when it comes to medicines” or “with medicines.” Together, Adivinar parece arriesgado means “Guessing seems risky.” especialmente con los medicamentos narrows that assessment to the context of medicines, producing the full meaning: “Guessing feels risky, especially with medicine.”

9. Un profesional puede explicar los riesgos con más claridad.

   A professional can explain the risks more clearly.

   profesional

   professional

   puede

   can

   explicar

   explain

   riesgos

   risks

   más

   more

   claridad

   clarity

   More detail

   profesional means “professional” here and is a noun referring to a person. It can also function as an adjective: un consejo profesional means “professional advice.” The form profesional is the same for masculine and feminine singular; number is shown by the article or ending, as in profesionales for plural. puede is the third-person singular present form of poder, “to be able to” or “can.” It agrees with the singular subject un profesional. Spanish uses poder followed by an infinitive: Puede ayudar. — “He, she, or it can help.” The exact sentence presents the ability or possibility as applying to one professional; it does not identify the person’s gender. explicar is the infinitive “to explain.” After puede, the infinitive stays unchanged; the finite verb carries the person and tense: puede explicar, “can explain.” The same verb can be used with other subjects, for example Puedo explicar el problema. — “I can explain the problem.” riesgos is the plural of the noun riesgo, “risk.” The plural ending -s indicates more than one risk, and the article los agrees with this masculine plural noun. Un riesgo means “a risk,” while los riesgos means “the risks.” más means “more” in this sentence. It forms a comparison with claridad: con más claridad means “with more clarity,” or more naturally, “more clearly.” Do not confuse it with mas, a different, formal conjunction meaning “but.” claridad is the feminine noun “clarity.” In con más claridad, it names the quality in which the explaining is done. The preposition con means “with,” so this phrase describes the manner of explaining. A related expression is con claridad, “clearly”; adding más makes it comparative: “more clearly.” Together, Un profesional is the singular subject, puede explicar says that this person can explain, and los riesgos is what is explained. con más claridad describes the manner: with greater clarity than some understood comparison point. The complete meaning is “A professional can explain the risks more clearly.”

10. Puedo escribir las preguntas antes de llamar.

    I can write down the questions before calling.

    Puedo

    I can

    escribir

    to write

    preguntas

    questions

    antes de

    before

    llamar

    to call

    More detail

    Puedo is the first-person singular present form of poder (“to be able to/can”). It expresses the speaker’s ability or possibility: puedo, puedes, puede. Spanish commonly uses poder + an infinitive for “can do something.” Escribir is the infinitive “to write.” After a conjugated form of poder, the second verb stays in the infinitive: Puedo escribir = “I can write.” In this sentence, escribir includes the intended sense “write down,” supplied by the fixed translation; Spanish does not need a separate word corresponding to “down” here. Preguntas means “questions.” It is the plural of the feminine noun pregunta; the accompanying form las marks feminine plural in the full sentence: las preguntas. Singular and plural contrast as la pregunta / las preguntas. Antes de is a reusable time expression meaning “before.” When the following action has no separately stated subject, Spanish uses antes de + infinitive: antes de llamar = “before calling.” This construction presents the writing as occurring earlier than the calling. Llamar is the infinitive “to call.” Infinitives do not show a person by themselves; the surrounding verb or context supplies who performs the action. Here it follows antes de, so it names the action that comes later in the time sequence. Together, Puedo escribir las preguntas means “I can write down the questions,” and antes de llamar adds “before calling.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I can write down the questions before calling.”

11. Eso debería hacer que la llamada sea más fácil de seguir.

    That should make the call easier to follow.

    Eso

    that

    debería

    should

    hacer

    make

    llamada

    call

    sea

    be

    más fácil

    easier

    seguir

    follow

    More detail

    Eso is a neuter demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” or “that idea/action.” Here it points back to an understood idea, compatible with the preceding plan to write the questions; Spanish uses the neuter form for an idea or situation rather than for a specifically named masculine or feminine noun. Example: Eso ayuda mucho. — “That helps a lot.” debería is the third-person singular conditional form of deber. In this sentence, debería + infinitive expresses an expectation or prediction: “should.” The infinitive that follows is hacer, so the pattern is reusable as X debería + infinitive: Esto debería funcionar. — “This should work.” hacer means “to make” here. In hacer que + clause, it expresses causing a result, and the verb in the following clause is normally in the subjunctive. Thus hacer que la llamada sea... means “make the call be/become...” rather than simply “do.” Example: La música hace que el trabajo sea más agradable. — “The music makes the work more pleasant.” la llamada is the feminine singular noun phrase “the call.” The noun is llamada; la agrees with it in feminine singular. In this context it is a call, understood as the call being discussed. The same noun can refer to a phone call or another kind of call when context supplies that meaning. Example: La llamada empieza a las tres. — “The call starts at three.” sea is the third-person singular present subjunctive form of ser, “to be.” The subjunctive is used here because hacer que introduces a caused result: hace que la llamada sea.... Sea agrees in person and number with la llamada; Spanish verb forms do not mark the noun’s gender here. Example: Quiero que la reunión sea breve. — “I want the meeting to be brief.” más fácil is the comparative expression “easier,” literally “more easy.” The adjective is fácil, whose base form is fácil; más creates the comparison. It describes the call, and fácil remains singular because it agrees with the singular noun llamada. The useful pattern is más + adjective: Este texto es más fácil. — “This text is easier.” seguir is the infinitive “to follow.” In fácil de seguir, de + infinitive identifies what is easy to do: the call is easier to follow. This does not mean physically following someone; in this context it means understanding or keeping track of the call. Example: La explicación es fácil de seguir. — “The explanation is easy to follow.” Together, Eso debería hacer que gives “That should make,” la llamada supplies the thing affected, and sea más fácil de seguir says that the call will be easier to follow. The complete meaning is: “That should make the call easier to follow.”