Chills in Spanish

What it means

Chills refers to feeling cold after being in a cold environment; the word can also refer to an episode of shivering along with paleness and feeling cold. Chills may occur at the start of an infection and are most often associated with a fever. They are caused by rapid muscle contraction and relaxation, which is the body's way of producing heat when it feels cold, and they often predict the coming of a fever or an increase in the body's core temperature. MedlinePlus notes that goose bumps are not the same as chills, and it lists rigors and shivering among the alternative names. Causes may include exposure to a cold environment and any infections. In Spanish the term is escalofríos.

Spanish term: Escalofríos
Gender and article: masculine: los escalofríos (singular: el escalofrío)
Pronunciation: es-kah-loh-FREE-ohs

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
calofrío	General	Separate dictionary entry, a masculine noun whose whole definition is the word escalofrío.

Escalofríos is the word MedlinePlus en español uses for chills, in the masculine plural: los escalofríos. The Spanish dictionary enters the singular escalofrío as a masculine noun and marks it "U. m. en pl.", that is, used more in the plural. It defines the word as a sensation of cold, usually sudden, violent and accompanied by muscle contractions, that sometimes comes before an attack of fever. The dictionary also gives a second sense, a similar sensation produced by an intense emotion, especially terror, and it has a separate entry calofrío defined simply as escalofrío.

MedlinePlus en español glosses escalofríos as temblores and lists rigores and temblores debidos al frío among its alternative names. Goose bumps are piel de gallina, which MedlinePlus en español says is not the same as chills. Words that appear alongside the term on that page are fiebre (fever), palidez (paleness) and sensación de frío (feeling cold).

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	Is it only a cold feeling, or are you actually shaking?	¿Es solo una sensación de frío, o en realidad está temblando?
Patient	I am actually shaking, and I can't stop.	En realidad estoy temblando y no puedo parar.
Clinician	What has been the highest temperature you have had with the chills?	¿Cuál ha sido la temperatura más alta que ha tenido con los escalofríos?
Patient	Last night it was 102 degrees Fahrenheit.	Anoche fue de 102 grados Fahrenheit.
Clinician	Did the chills happen only once, or have there been many separate episodes?	¿Los escalofríos sucedieron una sola vez, o ha habido muchos episodios separados?
Patient	I have had chills three times since yesterday, and each episode lasted about half an hour.	He tenido escalofríos tres veces desde ayer, y cada episodio duró como media hora.
Patient	I also have a bad cough, and I feel cold all the time.	También tengo una tos fuerte y siento frío todo el tiempo.
Clinician	Contact us promptly if you have a stiff neck, confusion, or shortness of breath along with the chills.	Comuníquese con nosotros rápidamente si tiene rigidez en el cuello, confusión o dificultad para respirar junto con los escalofríos.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Chills
Spanish (Español)	Escalofríos
Chinese (中文)	畏寒
Korean (한국어)	오한
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Ớn lạnh
Filipino (Tagalog)	Panginig / Panlalamig
Portuguese (Português)	Calafrios
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	หนาวสั่น
Japanese (日本語)	悪寒

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical recordemergency note

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: R68 → Other general symptoms and signs

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: General care: tests, procedures and medicines

All terms in this area: General care: tests, procedures and medicines — Atención general: pruebas, procedimientos y medicamentos

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.