How do you say appointment in Spanish?

The standard word is cita. You can say tengo una cita (I have an appointment) for any scheduled meeting. In Argentina and Uruguay, turno is more common, while consulta refers specifically to a medical visit.

Does cita also mean date in Spanish?

Cita doubles as the Spanish word for a romantic date, a scheduled appointment, or a quotation from a text. To avoid confusion, speakers often add a qualifier: cita médica (medical appointment), cita romántica (romantic date), or cita textual (quotation).

How do I say to make an appointment in Spanish?

The most common phrasing is pedir una cita or hacer una cita. In Argentina, you would say sacar turno. For a doctor specifically, pedir cita con el médico is clear and natural across all regions.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

How to Say Appointment in Spanish: Cita, Turno & Consulta

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Cita · noun (feminine) · SEE-tah

Cita is the go-to Spanish word for appointment — it covers doctor visits, business meetings, and scheduled encounters. In Argentina and Uruguay, turno is preferred for appointment slots at clinics or government offices. Consulta specifically means a medical consultation and appears across Latin America.

SEE-tah (cita) · TOOR-noh (turno) · kohn-SOOL-tah (consulta)

Tengo una cita con el dentista a las tres.

I have an appointment with the dentist at three.

Appointment in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for appointment, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
cita	appointment	SEE-tah	Default, widely understood
turno	appointment		Argentina, Uruguay — appointment slot or turn
consulta	appointment		medical appointment in some regions

How Native Speakers Use Cita

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Medical appointment

Llamé al consultorio para pedir una cita con la doctora.

I called the clinic to schedule an appointment with the doctor.

Cita is the default word for scheduling a medical visit in most Spanish-speaking countries.

Argentine usage with turno

Saqué turno en el hospital para mañana a primera hora.

I booked an appointment at the hospital for first thing tomorrow.

In Argentina and Uruguay, sacar turno is the natural expression for booking an appointment.

Business or professional appointment

La cita con el abogado es a las cinco de la tarde.

The appointment with the lawyer is at five in the afternoon.

Cita works for any professional meeting that has a set time, not just medical visits.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Cita

Confusing cita (appointment) with cita (date/quote)

Incorrect: Tengo una cita del libro. (meaning I have an appointment from the book)

Correct: Tengo una cita del libro. (this actually means I have a quote from the book)

Cita has three meanings: appointment, romantic date, and quotation. Only context tells them apart. Cita médica removes ambiguity for medical appointments.

Using appointmento as a false cognate

Incorrect: Necesito hacer un appointmento.

Correct: Necesito hacer una cita.

Appointmento does not exist in Spanish. The correct word is cita (or turno in Argentina). Making up English-sounding nouns is a common trap for beginners.

Lock in Appointment Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Cita used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using cita in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Tengo una cita con el dentista a las tres. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Appointment in Spanish

How do you say appointment in Spanish?: The standard word is cita. You can say tengo una cita (I have an appointment) for any scheduled meeting. In Argentina and Uruguay, turno is more common, while consulta refers specifically to a medical visit.
Does cita also mean date in Spanish?: Cita doubles as the Spanish word for a romantic date, a scheduled appointment, or a quotation from a text. To avoid confusion, speakers often add a qualifier: cita médica (medical appointment), cita romántica (romantic date), or cita textual (quotation).
How do I say to make an appointment in Spanish?: The most common phrasing is pedir una cita or hacer una cita. In Argentina, you would say sacar turno. For a doctor specifically, pedir cita con el médico is clear and natural across all regions.