Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Lungs in Spanish: Pulmones
Pulmones · noun (masculine, plural) · pool-MOH-nehs
Lungs in Spanish is pulmones (plural) or pulmón (singular). It is a masculine noun derived from Latin pulmo. You will encounter it in medical contexts, anatomy discussions, and everyday health conversations.
pool-MOH-nehs (pulmones) / pool-MOHN (pulmón). Stress falls on the second syllable in both forms.
Los pulmones se llenan de aire al respirar.
The lungs fill with air when you breathe.
Lungs in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for lungs, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| pulmones | lungs | pool-MOH-nehs | Default, widely understood |
| pulmón | lungs | singular: one lung |
How Native Speakers Use Pulmones
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Medical context
La radiografía muestra que los pulmones están limpios.
The X-ray shows the lungs are clear.
Pulmones is the standard term in hospitals and clinics across all Spanish-speaking countries.
Health warning
Fumar daña los pulmones de forma irreversible.
Smoking damages the lungs irreversibly.
Public health campaigns in Spanish consistently use pulmones.
Describing capacity
Los buzos entrenan para expandir la capacidad de sus pulmones.
Divers train to expand their lung capacity.
Capacidad pulmonar (lung capacity) is the related technical phrase.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Pulmones
Using feminine article with pulmón
Incorrect: La pulmón está inflamada.
Correct: El pulmón está inflamado.
Pulmón is masculine. Use el (singular) and los (plural). Adjectives must also be masculine: inflamado, not inflamada.
Forgetting the accent on singular form
Incorrect: El pulmon derecho.
Correct: El pulmón derecho.
The singular pulmón carries a written accent because it is a word ending in -n with stress on the last syllable. The plural pulmones drops the accent because stress shifts naturally.
Lock in Lungs 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 Pulmones used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using pulmones in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Los pulmones se llenan de aire al respirar. 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 Lungs in Spanish
- How do you say lungs in Spanish?
- Lungs is pulmones in Spanish. One lung is un pulmón. Both are masculine nouns.
- What is the adjective form related to lungs in Spanish?
- The adjective is pulmonar — as in enfermedad pulmonar (pulmonary disease) or capacidad pulmonar (lung capacity).
- How do you say lung infection in Spanish?
- Infección pulmonar or infección de pulmón. Both are widely understood in medical and everyday contexts.