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Illustration for “I've been coughing for four days”

Spanish dialogue with translation · A2 · 16 lines

Toso desde hace cuatro días I've been coughing for four days

Comic · 14 panels

Panel 1 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “Good morning. Do you have an appointment? (formal)” “Yes, with Dr. Ruiz. Here's my health card. (formal)”
  1. Recepcionista

    Buenos días. ¿Tiene cita previa?

    Good morning. Do you have an appointment? (formal)

  2. Ana

    Sí, con la doctora Ruiz. Aquí tiene mi tarjeta sanitaria.

    Yes, with Dr. Ruiz. Here's my health card. (formal)

Panel 2 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “Room four. Wait in the waiting room: there are a lot of patients today. (formal)”
  1. Recepcionista

    Consulta cuatro. Espere en la sala de espera: hoy hay muchos pacientes.

    Room four. Wait in the waiting room: there are a lot of patients today. (formal)

Panel 3 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “Ana Lind? Come in, come in. Tell me, what symptoms do you have? (formal)”
  1. Doctora

    ¿Ana Lind? Pase, pase. Dígame, ¿qué síntomas tiene?

    Ana Lind? Come in, come in. Tell me, what symptoms do you have? (formal)

Panel 4 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “I've been coughing for four days and my chest hurts. Also, I'm dizzy and very weak (woman speaking).”
  1. Ana

    Toso desde hace cuatro días y me duele el pecho. Además, estoy mareada y muy débil.

    I've been coughing for four days and my chest hurts. Also, I'm dizzy and very weak (woman speaking).

Panel 5 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “Let's see… Open your mouth and say "ah." Now breathe slowly and cough. (formal)”
  1. Doctora

    A ver… Abra la boca y diga «a». Ahora respire despacio y tosa.

    Let's see… Open your mouth and say "ah." Now breathe slowly and cough. (formal)

Panel 6 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “Is it serious, doctor? (to a woman)” “Wait. Put your arm here: I'll take your blood pressure. (formal)”
  1. Ana

    ¿Es grave, doctora?

    Is it serious, doctor? (to a woman)

  2. Doctora

    Espere. Ponga el brazo aquí: le tomo la tensión.

    Wait. Put your arm here: I'll take your blood pressure. (formal)

Panel 7 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “Sorry, "la tensión"? What's that?”
  1. Ana

    Perdón, ¿la tensión? ¿Qué es eso?

    Sorry, "la tensión"? What's that?

Panel 8 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “Look, it's this. Twelve over eight: it's perfect. It doesn't look like anything serious. (formal)”
  1. Doctora

    Mire, es esto. Doce, ocho: está perfecta. No parece nada grave.

    Look, it's this. Twelve over eight: it's perfect. It doesn't look like anything serious. (formal)

Panel 9 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “Thank goodness!”
  1. Ana

    ¡Menos mal!

    Thank goodness!

Panel 10 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “But I want to see a chest X-ray and a blood test. Go downstairs and make an appointment at the front desk. (formal)”
  1. Doctora

    Pero quiero ver una radiografía del pecho y un análisis de sangre. Baje y pida cita en el mostrador.

    But I want to see a chest X-ray and a blood test. Go downstairs and make an appointment at the front desk. (formal)

Panel 11 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “All right. And for the cough?”
  1. Ana

    De acuerdo. ¿Y para la tos?

    All right. And for the cough?

Panel 12 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “I'll prescribe you a syrup: take it three times a day. Rest, drink lots of water and come back on Friday. (formal)”
  1. Doctora

    Le receto un jarabe: tómelo tres veces al día. Descanse, beba mucha agua y vuelva el viernes.

    I'll prescribe you a syrup: take it three times a day. Rest, drink lots of water and come back on Friday. (formal)

Panel 13 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “Thanks. And what if I'm worse tomorrow?”
  1. Ana

    Gracias. ¿Y si mañana estoy peor?

    Thanks. And what if I'm worse tomorrow?

Panel 14 of 14 for “I've been coughing for four days”: “If you get worse, go to the ER. But don't worry. Get well soon! (to a woman, formal)”
  1. Doctora

    Si empeora, vaya a urgencias. Pero tranquila. ¡Que se mejore!

    If you get worse, go to the ER. But don't worry. Get well soon! (to a woman, formal)

Grammar for this text

The doctor uses usted. All her instructions are usted commands: pase, espere, abra, respire, tosa, mire, baje, descanse, beba. -ar verbs end in -e; -er / -ir verbs end in -a. Irregular ones come from the yo form: digo → diga, pongo → ponga, pido → pida, vuelvo → vuelva. On its own: ir → vaya.

The pronoun is attached to the end. Dígame — tell me; tómelo — take it (lo is the syrup).

Le — (to) you, formal: le tomo la tensión — I'll take your blood pressure; le receto un jarabe — I'll prescribe you a syrup.

Doce, ocho. In Spain, blood pressure is said like this: 12 and 8. It's the same as 120 over 80.

Desde hace cuatro días — for four days (unit 14). English uses the present perfect here: I've been coughing for four days.

¡Que se mejore! — Get well soon! The doctor uses usted; se mejore is a special form of mejorarse (to get better). You'll learn these forms after que at level B1. For now, learn it as a set phrase. To a friend, you say ¡Que te mejores!

Words and grammar of the unit: Understand what the doctor tells you.

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