About This Lesson
Use Clarifying medicine instructions safely to practice Spanish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
No sé si entiendo esta etiqueta del medicamento.
noh SEH see en-tee-EN-doh ES-tah eh-tee-KEH-tah del meh-dee-kah-MEN-toh. I am not sure I understand this medicine label.
B
Llama al farmacéutico antes de tomar la próxima dosis.
YAH-mah al far-mah-SAY-oo-tee-koh AN-tes day toh-MAR lah PROK-see-mah DOH-sees. Call the pharmacist before you take the next dose.
A
También quiero preguntar si debería evitar ciertos alimentos.
tahm-BYEN KYEH-roh preh-goon-TAR see deh-beh-REE-ah eh-bee-TAR SYAIR-tohs ah-lee-MEN-tohs. I also want to ask whether I should avoid certain foods.
B
Vale la pena comprobarlo, especialmente si la etiqueta menciona las comidas.
BAH-leh lah PAY-nah kom-proh-BAR-loh, es-peh-SYAL-men-teh see lah eh-tee-KEH-tah men-SYOH-nah las koh-MEE-das. That is worth checking, especially if the label mentions meals.
A
Tuve un dolor de cabeza leve después de tomarlo.
TOO-beh oon doh-LOR day kah-BEH-sah LEH-beh des-PWES day toh-MAR-loh. I had a mild headache after taking it.
A
Así que debería mencionarlo.
ah-SEE keh deh-beh-REE-ah men-syoh-NAR-loh. So I should bring that up.
B
Pregunta si podría ser un efecto secundario y qué señales de advertencia debes vigilar.
preh-GOON-tah see poh-DREE-ah sair oon eh-FEK-toh seh-koon-DAH-ryoh ee keh seh-NYA-les day ad-ber-TEN-syah DEH-bes bee-gee-LAR. Ask whether it could be a side effect and what warning signs to watch for.
A
Adivinar parece arriesgado, especialmente con los medicamentos.
ah-dee-bee-NAR pah-REH-seh ah-RRYESS-GAH-doh, es-peh-SYAL-men-teh kohn lohs meh-dee-kah-MEN-tohs. Guessing feels risky, especially with medicine.
B
Un profesional puede explicar los riesgos con más claridad.
oon proh-feh-syoh-NAL PWEH-deh eks-plee-KAR lohs RYESS-gohs kohn mahs klah-ree-DAHD. A professional can explain the risks more clearly.
A
Puedo escribir las preguntas antes de llamar.
PWEH-doh ess-kree-BEER las preh-GOON-tas AN-tes day yah-MAR. I can write down the questions before calling.
B
Eso debería hacer que la llamada sea más fácil de seguir.
EH-soh deh-beh-REE-ah ah-SAIR keh lah yah-MAH-dah SEH-ah mahs FAH-seel day seh-GEER. That should make the call easier to follow.Word by Word
No
In “No sé si entiendo”, “No” negates the following statement, giving “I do not know” or “I am not sure.” It is commonly placed directly before the verb it negates.
sé
In “No sé si entiendo”, “sé” expresses not knowing or not being sure; it is a form of saber. “No sé si + clause” is a useful pattern for saying that you are unsure whether something is true.
si
In “No sé si entiendo”, “si” introduces the matter about which the speaker is unsure: whether they understand. It can introduce a yes-or-no question inside a larger sentence.
entiendo
In “si entiendo esta etiqueta”, “entiendo” means “understand” in relation to the label; it is a form of entender. A common pattern is entiendo + direct object, as in “entiendo esta etiqueta”.
esta
In “esta etiqueta”, “esta” points to the specific label being discussed. It appears directly before the noun it identifies, as in “esta etiqueta del medicamento”.
etiqueta
In “esta etiqueta del medicamento”, “etiqueta” means the label containing the medicine information. It can be used with information about a product, such as a medicine label.
del
In “la etiqueta del medicamento”, “del” links the label to the medicine and means “of the.” It is the combined form used in the pattern noun + del + noun.
medicamento
In “del medicamento”, “medicamento” means the medicine connected with the label. It is useful when identifying instructions, doses, or information belonging to a medicine.
Llama
In “Llama al farmacéutico”, “Llama” tells the listener to call the pharmacist; it is an imperative form related to llamar. A practical pattern is Llama a or Llama al + person.
al
In “Llama al farmacéutico”, “al” marks the person being called and means “to the.” It is the contracted form used before a masculine singular noun in a + el.
farmacéutico
In “al farmacéutico”, “farmacéutico” means the pharmacist who can answer questions about the medicine. It can be used after llamar to identify the person to contact.
antes
In “antes de tomarlo”, “antes” places the action of taking the medicine later than the call. The reusable time pattern is antes de + infinitive.
de
In “antes de tomarlo”, “de” connects antes with the following action. Together, antes de + infinitive means “before doing something.”
tomar
In “tomar la próxima dosis”, “tomar” means to take the medicine or dose; it is the infinitive form. A common pattern in this context is tomar + noun, such as tomar la próxima dosis.
la
In “la próxima dosis”, “la” identifies a specific feminine singular noun phrase. It appears before the adjective and noun here: la + próxima + dosis.
próxima
In “la próxima dosis”, “próxima” identifies the dose that comes next. It is placed before the noun dosis and agrees with that noun in this phrase.
dosis
In “la próxima dosis”, “dosis” means the next measured amount of medicine to take. It is useful with words that specify timing, such as próxima.
También
In “También quiero preguntar”, “También” adds another point the speaker wants to ask about. It commonly appears before the verb or at the start of the sentence when adding information.
quiero
In “También quiero preguntar”, “quiero” expresses the speaker’s desire or intention to ask; it is a form of querer. A reusable pattern is quiero + infinitive for saying what you want to do.
preguntar
In “quiero preguntar si debería evitar ciertos alimentos”, “preguntar” means to ask for information; it is an infinitive after quiero. It can be followed by a question introduced by si or by a person being asked.
debería
In “si debería evitar ciertos alimentos”, “debería” expresses what the speaker ought to do; it is a form of deber. The pattern debería + infinitive is useful for asking or discussing what would be advisable.
evitar
In “debería evitar ciertos alimentos”, “evitar” means to avoid the foods; it is the infinitive after debería. A practical pattern is evitar + noun for naming something to stay away from.
ciertos
In “ciertos alimentos”, “ciertos” refers to particular foods without naming them. It appears before the plural noun alimentos and can be used to identify selected items.
alimentos
In “ciertos alimentos”, “alimentos” means foods, especially the foods whose interaction with the medicine needs checking. It can follow a word that limits or identifies the foods, such as ciertos.
Vale la pena
“Vale la pena comprobarlo” means that checking it is worthwhile. Within this fixed expression, vale conveys that something has value, while la pena forms the expression with it; the whole construction is followed here by comprobarlo. A reusable pattern is Vale la pena + infinitive.
comprobarlo
In “Vale la pena comprobarlo”, “comprobarlo” means to check the matter just mentioned, combining comprobar with lo. The pattern infinitive + lo is useful when the action is directed at a previously identified thing or issue.
especialmente
In “especialmente si la etiqueta menciona las comidas”, “especialmente” highlights that the following condition is particularly important. It can be placed before a clause introduced by si.
menciona
In “si la etiqueta menciona las comidas”, “menciona” means mentions or refers to; it is a form of mencionar. A useful pattern is a document or label + menciona + information.
las
In “las comidas”, “las” identifies a specific plural noun phrase. It appears before comidas and marks the feminine plural article in this expression.
comidas
In “menciona las comidas”, “comidas” means meals, the meals referred to by the medicine label. It can be used when discussing whether instructions relate to eating.
Tuve
In “Tuve un dolor de cabeza leve”, “Tuve” reports that the speaker experienced or had a headache; it is a past form of tener. A reusable pattern is Tuve + symptom or condition.
un
In “un dolor de cabeza”, “un” introduces one unspecified instance of the symptom. It appears before the noun phrase that names what the speaker had.
dolor de cabeza
“Dolor de cabeza” is the complete expression for a headache in “Tuve un dolor de cabeza leve”. The components are dolor, a pain, de, linking the description, and cabeza, head; together they name the symptom. A useful pattern is tener or tuve + un dolor de cabeza.
leve
In “un dolor de cabeza leve”, “leve” describes the headache as mild rather than severe. It follows the noun phrase here and can be used to describe a mild symptom.
después
In “después de tomarlo”, “después” places the headache later than taking the medicine. The reusable time pattern is después de + infinitive.
tomarlo
In “después de tomarlo”, “tomarlo” means to take it, referring to the medicine; it combines tomar with the object pronoun lo. The pattern infinitive + lo is used when the object has already been identified.
Así
In “Así que debería mencionarlo”, “Así” contributes to the conclusion that follows from the previous statement. Together with que, it forms the connector “so,” commonly used before a result or consequence.
que
In “Así que debería mencionarlo”, “que” completes the connector that introduces the consequence. The whole expression Así que + clause is used to state what follows from what was just said.
mencionarlo
In “debería mencionarlo”, “mencionarlo” means to mention it, referring to the headache; it combines mencionar with lo. A reusable pattern is modal or advice expression + infinitive + lo when referring to a known topic.
Pregunta
In “Pregunta si podría ser un efecto secundario”, “Pregunta” tells the listener to ask; it is an imperative form related to preguntar. A useful pattern is Pregunta si + clause when requesting an answer to a yes-or-no question.
podría
In “si podría ser un efecto secundario”, “podría” presents the possibility that something may be a side effect; it is a form of poder. The pattern podría + infinitive is useful for discussing a possible explanation cautiously.
ser
In “podría ser un efecto secundario”, “ser” means “to be” and follows podría. The pattern podría ser + noun or description is used to suggest a possible identity or explanation.
efecto
In “un efecto secundario”, “efecto” means an effect or result. Here it is part of the expression that identifies an unwanted result associated with a medicine.
secundario
In “un efecto secundario”, “secundario” describes the effect as secondary, giving the complete medicine-related expression “side effect.” It follows efecto and agrees with it in this phrase.
y
In “un efecto secundario y qué señales”, “y” joins two things to ask about: a possible side effect and warning signs. It connects words, phrases, or clauses of equal importance.
qué
In “qué señales de advertencia debes vigilar”, “qué” asks which or what warning signs are relevant. It appears directly before the noun señales in this embedded question.
señales
In “qué señales de advertencia”, “señales” means signs or indications to watch for. It is followed by de advertencia to specify that these are warning signs.
advertencia
In “señales de advertencia”, “advertencia” identifies the signs as warnings. The pattern señales de + noun is used to specify what kind of signs they are.
debes
In “debes vigilar”, “debes” expresses that the listener must or should monitor something; it is a form of deber. A reusable pattern is debes + infinitive for stating an obligation or recommendation.
vigilar
In “qué señales de advertencia debes vigilar”, “vigilar” means to watch for or monitor the warning signs; it is the infinitive after debes. A practical pattern is vigilar + signs, symptoms, or other things requiring attention.
Adivinar
In “Adivinar parece arriesgado”, “Adivinar” means guessing and names the activity being evaluated. An infinitive can be used at the beginning of a sentence to present an activity as the topic.
parece
In “Adivinar parece arriesgado”, “parece” presents guessing as seeming risky; it is a form of parecer. The pattern subject + parece + adjective is useful for giving an impression or assessment.
arriesgado
In “parece arriesgado”, “arriesgado” describes guessing as risky. It follows parece and can be used after that verb to assess an action or situation.
con
In “especialmente con los medicamentos”, “con” links the idea of risk to medicines and means “with” in this context. It commonly introduces the thing or area involved in an experience or assessment.
los
In “los medicamentos”, “los” identifies a masculine plural noun phrase. It appears before medicamentos to refer to medicines as a group.
medicamentos
In “con los medicamentos”, “medicamentos” means medicines in general. It names the area in which guessing is considered risky.
profesional
In “Un profesional puede explicar”, “profesional” means a qualified professional who can clarify the risks. It can be used after an article to identify a person by their professional role.
puede
In “puede explicar los riesgos”, “puede” expresses ability or possibility; it is a form of poder. The pattern puede + infinitive is used to say what someone is able or able to do.
explicar
In “puede explicar los riesgos”, “explicar” means to explain and is the infinitive after puede. A useful pattern is explicar + information or topic, such as explicar los riesgos.
riesgos
In “explicar los riesgos”, “riesgos” means the risks associated with the medicine or its use. It can be used as the direct object of explicar.
más
In “con más claridad”, “más” increases the degree of claridad and gives “more clearly.” A reusable pattern is más + noun, as in más claridad.
claridad
In “con más claridad”, “claridad” means clarity, describing how clearly the professional can explain. The pattern con + noun can express the manner in which an action is done.
Puedo
In “Puedo escribir las preguntas”, “Puedo” expresses that the speaker can write the questions; it is a form of poder. A useful pattern is Puedo + infinitive for stating ability or an available action.
escribir
In “Puedo escribir las preguntas”, “escribir” means to write and follows Puedo. It can be followed directly by the thing being written, such as las preguntas.
preguntas
In “escribir las preguntas”, “preguntas” means the questions the speaker plans to prepare for the call. It can be used as the direct object of escribir.
llamar
In “antes de llamar”, “llamar” means to call and is the action that will happen after writing the questions. The pattern antes de + infinitive places one action before another.
Eso
In “Eso debería hacer que la llamada sea más fácil de seguir”, “Eso” points back to the idea of writing down the questions. It is useful for referring to a previously mentioned action or situation as a whole.
hacer
In “debería hacer que la llamada sea más fácil”, “hacer” expresses causing a result: the preparation makes the call easier. The reusable construction is hacer que + clause.
llamada
In “la llamada”, “llamada” means the phone call the speakers are preparing for. It can follow la when referring to a specific call already understood from the context.
sea
In “que la llamada sea más fácil de seguir”, “sea” means “be” within the clause describing the result of hacer que; it is a form of ser. A useful pattern is hacer que + subject + sea + description.
fácil
In “sea más fácil de seguir”, “fácil” describes the call as easy to follow. The pattern fácil de + infinitive states what is easy to do.
seguir
In “más fácil de seguir”, “seguir” means to follow or understand the progress of the call; it is the infinitive after fácil de. A reusable pattern is fácil de + infinitive, as in fácil de seguir.
Grammar Points
Infinitivo + pronombre: comprobarlo, mencionarlo
Vale la pena comprobarlo.
BAH-leh lah PAY-nah kom-proh-BAR-loh.It is worth checking it.
In Spanish, object pronouns such as lo can attach directly to an infinitive.
Concordancia de adjetivo y sustantivo: ciertos alimentos
Evitar ciertos alimentos.
eh-bee-TAR SYAIR-tohs ah-lee-MEN-tohs.To avoid certain foods.
The adjective agrees with the plural masculine noun: cierto becomes ciertos before alimentos.
Spanish Vocabulary
alimento
noun
ah-lee-MEN-toh
food
alimentos
cierto
adj
SYAIR-toh
certain
ciertos
comprobar
verb
kom-proh-BAR
to check
comprobarlo
dosis
noun
DOH-sees
dose
etiqueta
noun
eh-tee-KEH-tah
label
etiqueta del medicamento
evitar
verb
eh-bee-TAR
to avoid
farmacéutico
noun
far-mah-SAY-oo-tee-koh
pharmacist
medicamento
noun
meh-dee-kah-MEN-toh
medicine
preguntar
verb
preh-goon-TAR
to ask
próximo
adj
PROK-see-moh
next
próxima
tomar
verb
toh-MAR
to take
valer la pena
phrase
bah-LAIR lah PAY-nah
to be worth it
Vale la pena comprobarlo.
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
So I should bring that up.
Show Answer
Así que debería mencionarlo.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to ask
Show Answer
preguntardose
Show Answer
dosislabel
Show Answer
etiquetamedicine