Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Rash in Spanish: Sarpullido and Erupción Cutánea

Sarpullido · noun (masculine) · sahr-poo-YEE-doh

Rash in Spanish is sarpullido, the everyday word, or erupción cutánea, which is slightly more clinical. The variant salpullido is equally correct.

Sarpullido is sahr-poo-YEE-doh, with the ll sounding like a y.

Al bebé le salió un sarpullido en la espalda.

The baby got a rash on his back.

Rash in Spanish: Quick Reference

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

SpanishEnglishPronunciationRegion / Register
sarpullidorashsahr-poo-YEE-dohDefault, widely understood
erupción cutánearashmore clinical: skin rash
salpullidorashaccepted variant spelling

How Native Speakers Use Sarpullido

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

On a baby

Al bebé le salió un sarpullido en la espalda.

The baby got a rash on his back.

Salir is the natural verb for a rash appearing.

From an allergy

La alergia le provocó una erupción en los brazos.

The allergy caused a rash on her arms.

Erupción is common in a medical context.

Treatment

El médico me recetó una crema para el sarpullido.

The doctor prescribed me a cream for the rash.

Talking to a doctor about treatment.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Sarpullido

Borrowing the English word

Incorrect: Tengo un rash en la piel.

Correct: Tengo un sarpullido en la piel.

Rash is English, and although some bilingual speakers borrow it, standard Spanish and doctors expect sarpullido or erupción.

Limiting erupción to volcanoes

Incorrect: Assuming erupción only refers to a volcano.

Correct: Erupción also means a skin rash (erupción cutánea).

Erupción covers both a volcanic eruption and a skin breakout, so adding cutánea makes the skin meaning clear.

Lock in Rash 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 Sarpullido used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using sarpullido in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Al bebé le salió un sarpullido en la espalda. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

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Common Questions About Rash in Spanish

How do you say rash in Spanish?
Rash in Spanish is sarpullido (sahr-poo-YEE-doh) or erupción cutánea, with sarpullido being the everyday word and erupción cutánea slightly more clinical.
How do I describe a rash to a doctor?
You can say me salió un sarpullido and add details like rojo (red), con picazón (itchy), or its location, such as en el brazo or en la cara.
Is salpullido also correct?
Yes, salpullido with an l is an accepted variant of sarpullido, and you'll hear both with identical meaning.