X-Ray in Spanish

What it means

An x-ray is a painless medical imaging test that sends a small amount of radiation through the body to create pictures of bones and organs. X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, and the images appear in shades of black, white, and gray because different tissues absorb radiation differently: bones absorb the most and appear white, fat and other soft tissues appear gray, and air-filled areas like the lungs appear black. The image is recorded on film or sent to a computer. X-rays are commonly used to check for fractures (broken bones). Depending on the body part, a person may be asked to stand, sit, or lie down and to stay still for a short time. A specialist called a radiologist reviews the images.

Spanish term: Radiografía
Gender and article: feminine: la radiografía (plural: las radiografías)
Pronunciation: rrah-dyoh-grah-FEE-ah

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
rayos X	General	Title MedlinePlus en español gives its pages on the test, with Radiografías under 'Otros nombres'; the same page defines rayos x themselves as a type of electromagnetic radiation.
imagen de rayos X	General	MedlinePlus en español pairs this wording with radiografía in its headings.
prueba de imagen radiográfica	General	The National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary says radiografía is also called this.

MedlinePlus en español uses radiografía for the test (¿Cómo se realiza una radiografía?) as a feminine noun: una radiografía, plural las radiografías. Its pages are titled Rayos X, with Radiografías given under "Otros nombres", and the headings pair the two: una imagen de rayos x o radiografía. The page defines rayos x themselves as a type of electromagnetic radiation. The National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary defines radiografía as a procedure that uses rayos X to obtain images of areas inside the body, and adds that it is also called prueba de imagen radiográfica.

The English counterpart in the NCI dictionary is radiography, also called x-ray imaging. Words from the Spanish pages include radiólogo (radiologist, the specialist who reviews the images), delantal de plomo (lead apron), fracturas (fractures, glossed as huesos rotos) and medios de contraste (contrast media). For a chest x-ray the topic page writes radiografía de pecho, and the encyclopedia article lists radiografía de tórax among common types.

Phrases for an appointment

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

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	I am going to order an x-ray of your wrist to check for a fracture.	Voy a pedirle una radiografía de la muñeca para ver si hay una fractura.
Patient	Do I need to prepare in any way before the x-ray?	¿Debo prepararme de alguna manera antes de la radiografía?
Clinician	Is there any chance that you are pregnant?	¿Existe alguna posibilidad de que esté embarazada?
Clinician	Please remove your jewelry and stay still while the image is taken.	Por favor, quítese las joyas y no se mueva mientras se toma la imagen.
Patient	Does the x-ray hurt?	¿Duele la radiografía?
Patient	Is the radiation from the x-ray dangerous?	¿Es peligrosa la radiación de la radiografía?
Clinician	We will give you a lead apron to protect certain parts of your body.	Le daremos un delantal de plomo para proteger ciertas partes de su cuerpo.
Patient	When will I get the results of the x-ray?	¿Cuándo recibiré los resultados de la radiografía?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	X-Ray
Spanish (Español)	Radiografía
Chinese (中文)	X光
Korean (한국어)	엑스레이
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Chụp X-quang
Filipino (Tagalog)	X-ray
Portuguese (Português)	Raio-X
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	เอกซเรย์
Japanese (日本語)	X線撮影

Where you'll see it

radiology reportchartreferralEOBbill

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.