Most Spanish speakers say “infección” (feminine) for an infection, whether it’s a health issue or a computer problem.
You don’t need a long list of translations to say this well. You need one solid core word, the right article, and a few phrases that match real situations. This piece gives you those pieces, then helps you use them in sentences that sound normal.
You’ll get patterns, ready sentences, and short practice to lock it.
What The Word Means And When It Fits
Infección is the standard Spanish noun for an infection. It works for medical cases (a throat infection, a wound infection) and also for a computer infection (a virus on a device). Context tells the listener which one you mean.
If you’re talking about a person’s health, you’ll often pair it with a body part, a type, or a cause. If you’re talking about tech, you’ll pair it with words like virus (virus), malware, or equipo (device/equipment).
How To Say Infection In Spanish With Spelling And Gender
The word is spelled infección with an accent mark on the final “o.” That accent matters. It marks the stress and helps you avoid a flat, English-style ending.
Gender:infección is feminine, so you’ll use la (the) or una (an) with it.
- Singular: la infección / una infección
- Plural: las infecciones / unas infecciones
If you’re writing on a phone and can’t type accents fast, you can still be understood without it. In formal writing, keep the accent.
Pronunciation That Sounds Natural
Many learners trip over two spots: the “cc” and the stress at the end. A clean way to think of it is “in-feck-SYON.” In many accents, the “cc” sounds like a “ks” blend.
In Spain, you may hear a softer “th” sound in words with c before i or e, while much of Latin America uses an “s” sound. Either way, the word is easy to recognize.
Saying “Infection” In Spanish In Real Life
Once you’ve got infección, the next step is choosing the phrase pattern. Spanish often uses “infection of + body part,” or “infection + adjective,” or “infection caused by + noun.”
Common Patterns You’ll Hear
- Infección de + body part:infección de garganta (throat infection), infección del oído (ear infection)
- Infección + type:infección viral (viral infection), infección bacteriana (bacterial infection)
- Infección en + place:infección en la herida (infection in the wound)
Spanish also likes clear, direct verbs. You’ll hear tener (to have) and estar (to be) a lot in daily talk.
Simple Sentences That Work
- Tengo una infección. (I have an infection.)
- Creo que tengo una infección en la garganta. (I think I have an infection in my throat.)
- La herida tiene infección. (The wound has an infection.)
That last one feels short in English, yet it’s normal in Spanish. It’s a quick way to say the wound has an infection.
Related Words That Let You Say More
If you only learn the noun, you’ll still get your message across. If you learn a few related forms, you’ll sound smoother and you’ll understand others faster.
Verb And Adjectives
- Infectar (to infect): Ese virus puede infectar el sistema.
- Infectado / infectada (infected): El dedo está infectado.
- Infeccioso / infecciosa (infectious): Es una enfermedad infecciosa.
Notice the adjective endings. Spanish adjectives match the noun they describe, so infectado changes to infectada with a feminine noun like herida (wound).
Medical Use: Clear Phrases For Clinics And Pharmacies
If you’re describing symptoms or talking to a medical worker, short, clear phrases help. You can state what you have, where it is, and how long it has been going on.
Phrases For Location
- una infección de garganta (a throat infection)
- una infección de oído (an ear infection)
- una infección de la piel (a skin infection)
- una infección urinaria (a urinary infection / UTI)
Phrases For Type Or Cause
- infección viral (viral infection)
- infección bacteriana (bacterial infection)
- infección por hongos (fungal infection)
If you’re unsure of the type, you can keep it general and stick with una infección. You can also add a body part to make it precise without guessing a cause.
Vocabulary Table: Infection Terms You’ll Reuse
This table gives you common pairings you can mix and match. Use the ones that fit your situation and keep the rest as reading help.
| English | Spanish | Use Notes |
|---|---|---|
| infection | infección | General term for health or tech contexts |
| viral infection | infección viral | Often paired with virus in explanation |
| bacterial infection | infección bacteriana | Used in medical settings and reports |
| throat infection | infección de garganta | Common in daily speech |
| ear infection | infección del oído | del = de + el |
| skin infection | infección de la piel | Also used for rashes with infection |
| urinary tract infection | infección urinaria | Short form is common |
| wound infection | infección en la herida | Also: la herida tiene infección |
| computer infection | infección en la computadora | Also: equipo infectado (infected device) |
Formal Vs Casual: What To Write And What To Say
In everyday Spanish, people often keep it short: Tengo una infección. In a school assignment or a medical form, you may want a fuller line that names the type or the location.
Try these as “written style” options. They read clean, they avoid slang, and they still sound natural.
- Presenta una infección de garganta. (They have a throat infection.)
- Se detectó una infección bacteriana. (A bacterial infection was detected.)
- Sospecha de infección en la herida. (Suspected infection in the wound.)
Notice how these lines avoid extra filler words. Spanish often drops the subject when it’s clear, and it likes concise labels in notes.
Two Useful Synonyms And When To Avoid Them
You may see contagio and enfermedad near this topic. They are not direct swaps for infección.
- Contagio means contagion or transmission, more about spread than the infection itself.
- Enfermedad means illness or disease, a broader label that can include non-infectious problems.
If your goal is to say “infection,” stick with infección. Use the others only when you truly mean spread or a general illness.
A Quick Note On Health Language
If you’re using these phrases for real symptoms, plain language helps. If pain, fever, swelling, or redness feel severe or keep getting worse, contact a licensed clinician.
Tech Use: Talking About A Virus On A Device
In tech talk, infección still works. People also say virus more often than English speakers do, since it’s short and clear.
Here are a few sentences that sound normal in a repair shop, an IT chat, or a class.
- Mi computadora tiene una infección. (My computer has an infection.)
- Creo que es un virus. (I think it’s a virus.)
- El sistema está infectado. (The system is infected.)
- Hay malware en el equipo. (There’s malware on the device.)
If you want to sound extra clear, pair both words: una infección por un virus (an infection caused by a virus). In tech, that phrasing is still understood, even if it sounds a bit medical.
Polite Ways To Ask And Answer
Sometimes you’re not stating a fact. You’re asking what someone has, or you’re answering a question from a nurse, a teacher, or a friend. These patterns keep it polite without being stiff.
Asking Someone
- ¿Tienes una infección? (Do you have an infection?)
- ¿Es una infección? (Is it an infection?)
- ¿Dónde tienes la infección? (Where is the infection?)
Answering Simply
- Sí, tengo una infección. (Yes, I have an infection.)
- No, creo que no. (No, I don’t think so.)
- Es una infección en la piel. (It’s a skin infection.)
Phrase Table: Ready-To-Use Sentences
Memorize two or three that match your life. Then swap the body part or type as needed.
| English | Spanish | When It Fits |
|---|---|---|
| I have an infection. | Tengo una infección. | General, spoken or written |
| I think it’s an infection. | Creo que es una infección. | When you’re not sure |
| It’s a throat infection. | Es una infección de garganta. | When location is clear |
| The wound is infected. | La herida está infectada. | Common at home or clinic |
| It might be viral. | Puede ser viral. | When someone suggests a type |
| Do you have an infection? | ¿Tienes una infección? | Direct question |
| My computer is infected. | Mi computadora está infectada. | Tech context, daily speech |
| There’s a virus on my phone. | Hay un virus en mi teléfono. | Tech context, quick message |
Common Mistakes Learners Make
A few small slips can make your Spanish sound off. Fixing them is simple once you know what to watch for.
Dropping The Accent Mark In Formal Writing
Infección needs the accent. Without it, readers still get it, yet it can look careless in school work, emails, or printed materials.
Typing The Accent Fast
On iPhone and Android, press and hold the letter “o” to pick “ó.” On Windows, you can use a US-International layout, or copy-paste infección once and save it in your notes. On Mac, Option + E, then “o” gives “ó.” After a few tries, it becomes automatic.
Using The Wrong Article
Since infección is feminine, use la or una. Learners sometimes default to el out of habit.
Mixing Up “Infección” And “Inflamación”
Inflamación means inflammation, not infection. They can happen together, yet they are not the same thing. If you only want to say infection, stick with infección.
Mini Practice: Build Your Own Sentences
Use this pattern and swap the blank. Say it out loud twice. Then write it once.
- Tengo una infección de ______. (I have an infection of ______.)
- Es una infección ______. (It’s a ______ infection.)
- La ______ está infectada. (The ______ is infected.)
Try blanks like garganta (throat), oído (ear), piel (skin), herida (wound), or sistema (system).
Final Check: You’re Ready If You Can Do These Three Things
Before you move on, test yourself with a tiny checklist.
- You can say una infección with the right article.
- You can add a body part: infección de garganta, infección del oído.
- You can switch to tech talk: Mi computadora está infectada or Tiene un virus.
If you can do those, you can handle most real conversations where this word comes up.