US Medical Term · anatomy
Stomach
Estómago
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Stomach |
| Spanish (Español) | Estómago |
| Chinese (中文) | 胃 |
| Korean (한국어) | 위 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Dạ dày |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Tiyan |
| Portuguese (Português) | Estômago |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | กระเพาะอาหาร |
| Japanese (日本語) | 胃 |
What it means
The stomach is a muscular, J-shaped organ in the upper left part of the abdomen that receives food from the esophagus and begins the process of digestion. Its walls churn and mix food with stomach acid and digestive enzymes, breaking it down into a semi-liquid called chyme. The acid — hydrochloric acid — is strong enough to kill many bacteria that enter with food. The stomach can stretch to hold about one liter of food and liquid. After several hours, the partially digested food passes through a muscular opening at the stomach's lower end, called the pyloric valve, into the small intestine. Conditions such as ulcers, gastritis, and stomach cancer all affect the stomach.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I have been having burning pain in my upper abdomen — could I have a stomach ulcer?
He tenido un dolor ardiente en la parte superior del abdomen. ¿Podría tener una úlcera estomacal?
After my stomach surgery I can only eat small amounts at a time.
Después de mi cirugía de estómago solo puedo comer pequeñas cantidades a la vez.
The endoscopy found an H. pylori infection in my stomach lining.
La endoscopia encontró una infección por H. pylori en el revestimiento de mi estómago.
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026