US Medical Term · anatomy
Atrium
Aurícula
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Atrium |
| Spanish (Español) | Aurícula |
| Chinese (中文) | 心房 |
| Korean (한국어) | 심방 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Tâm nhĩ |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Atrium |
| Portuguese (Português) | Átrio |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | หัวใจห้องบน |
| Japanese (日本語) | 心房 |
What it means
The heart has four chambers, and the atria are the two upper chambers — the right atrium and the left atrium. The right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood returning from the body through large veins and passes it down to the right ventricle, which pumps it to the lungs. The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood returning from the lungs and passes it down to the left ventricle, which pumps it to the rest of the body. The atria contract just before the ventricles to help fill them with blood. Atrial fibrillation — often called AFib — is a common condition where the atria beat chaotically, which raises the risk of blood clots and stroke.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
My doctor told me I have atrial fibrillation, which means the upper chambers of my heart are beating irregularly.
Mi médico me dijo que tengo fibrilación auricular, lo que significa que las cámaras superiores de mi corazón laten de forma irregular.
The echocardiogram showed that my left atrium is enlarged.
El ecocardiograma mostró que mi aurícula izquierda está agrandada.
I take a blood thinner because the irregular heartbeat in my atria raises my stroke risk.
Tomo un anticoagulante porque el latido irregular de mis aurículas aumenta mi riesgo de derrame cerebral.
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026