Spanish varies a lot from country to country. The word you learned in Mexico may be completely impossible to understand –or indeed laughable– here in Uruguay.
Here are some useful expressions to help you describe your cough and/or cold while you are in Uruguay, so that you can get some decent medication, medicinal teas and sympathy.
Uruguayan-Spanish vocabulary for coughs and colds
- Where can I find a pharmacy? – Donde hay una farmacia? (Pronounce it, far-MAH-see-ah)
- Where can I find a natural remedy store? – Donde hay una yuyeria? (people will totally think you are from Uruguay) Pronounce it, zhoo-zheh-REE-ah
- I have a cold – Tengo un resfrio (res-FREE-oh)
- I have flu – Tengo gripe (GREE-pay)
- I have a runny nose – Tengo muchos mocos (literally, I have lots of snot. Obviously an informal expression, but you will totally communicate your predicament)
- I have a (bad) cough – Tengo (mucha) tos
- I have a chesty cough (with lots of mocos!) – Tengo catarro
- I have a sore throat – Tengo dolor de garganta
- I have a fever – Tengo (mucha) fiebre (fee-EB-ray)
In this video, I’ll take you through how to pronounce each phrase a la uruguaya:
To inform yourself with more insights into the peculiarities of the Uruguayan accent and vocabulary, check out the Guru’Guay Guide to Montevideo.
More winter tips
- Visiting Uruguay in winter (June-August)? Find out what to wear
- TV’s Matt Landau experience in Uruguay in the depths of July
- Top things to do in Uruguay in winter
- Medicinal herbs for coughs and colds
- How to describe flu, cough and cold symptoms in Spanish when in Uruguay