Fever in Spanish

What it means

A fever is a body temperature that is higher than normal. A normal temperature can vary from person to person, but it is usually around 98.6 °F (37 °C). A fever is not a disease; it is usually a sign that the body is trying to fight an illness or infection, and infections cause most fevers. The MedlinePlus encyclopedia describes fever as the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness, and says an adult probably has a fever when the temperature measured in the mouth is above 99°F to 99.5°F (37.2°C to 37.5°C), depending on the time of day. Other causes include some medicines, heat illness, cancers, autoimmune diseases, and some childhood vaccines.

Fever in Spanish

Spanish term: Fiebre
Gender and article: feminine: la fiebre
Pronunciation: FYEH-breh

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
temperatura elevada	General	Listed among the alternative names in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia entry for fiebre.
pirexia	General	Listed among the alternative names in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia; the English entry lists pyrexia.
hipertermia	General	Listed among the alternative names in the MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia; the English entry lists hyperthermia.

Fiebre is the term MedlinePlus en español uses, and it is feminine: la fiebre. To say that someone has a fever, MedlinePlus en español uses the verb tener with no article: tiene fiebre. The plural fiebres also appears, as in la mayoría de las fiebres. The MedlinePlus en español encyclopedia lists temperatura elevada, hipertermia, pirexia and the adjective febril among its alternative names.

The adjective appears in convulsiones febriles (febrile seizures). For where a temperature is taken, the encyclopedia writes medida en la boca (oral), medida bajo el brazo (axilar) and medida en las nalgas (rectal). MedlinePlus en español gives the normal temperature in both scales, 98.6 ºF o 37 ºC. Unexplained fevers that continue for days or weeks are called fiebres de origen desconocido, abbreviated FOD.

Phrases for an appointment

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

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I have had a fever since Monday.	Tengo fiebre desde el lunes.
Clinician	What was your highest temperature, and how did you take it?	¿Cuál fue su temperatura más alta y cómo se la tomó?
Patient	It was 102 degrees Fahrenheit, taken in the mouth.	Fue de 102 grados Fahrenheit, tomada en la boca.
Clinician	Do you also have chills, a cough, or a sore throat?	¿También tiene escalofríos, tos o dolor de garganta?
Patient	The fever goes down for a few hours and then comes back.	La fiebre baja durante unas horas y luego vuelve.
Clinician	Have you started any new medicines recently?	¿Ha empezado a tomar alguna medicina nueva recientemente?
Patient	My daughter has a fever too. Her temperature under the arm was 38 degrees Celsius.	Mi hija también tiene fiebre. Su temperatura bajo el brazo fue de 38 grados Celsius.
Clinician	I am going to take your temperature again now.	Voy a tomarle la temperatura otra vez ahora.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Fever
Spanish (Español)	Fiebre
Chinese (中文)	發燒
Korean (한국어)	발열
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Sốt
Filipino (Tagalog)	Lagnat
Portuguese (Português)	Febre
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ไข้
Japanese (日本語)	発熱

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical recordtriage note

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: R50 → Fever of other and unknown origin

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.