Spanish vocabulary · Intermediate
Seizures in Spanish: Convulsiones — Essential Medical Vocabulary
Convulsiones · noun (plural) · kohn-bool-SYOH-nehs
Seizures in Spanish is convulsiones for general use and crisis epilépticas in clinical settings. Whether you are a healthcare professional, a caregiver, or a traveler who needs to communicate medical information, these terms are important to know.
Convulsiones is pronounced kohn-bool-SYOH-nehs. Crisis epilépticas is pronounced KREE-sees eh-pee-LEHP-tee-kahs.
El médico explicó cómo actuar si alguien tiene convulsiones.
The doctor explained how to act if someone has seizures.
Seizures in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for seizures, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| convulsiones | seizures | kohn-bool-SYOH-nehs | Default, widely understood |
| ataques | seizures | informal / colloquial | |
| crisis epilépticas | seizures | formal medical terminology |
How Native Speakers Use Convulsiones
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Medical consultation
El paciente ha tenido tres convulsiones en las últimas veinticuatro horas.
The patient has had three seizures in the last twenty-four hours.
Standard medical usage in a clinical or hospital setting.
Emergency communication
¡Llamen a una ambulancia! Está teniendo un ataque.
Call an ambulance! He's having a seizure.
In urgent informal situations, ataque is commonly used and widely understood.
Describing a condition
Su hija fue diagnosticada con crisis epilépticas a los cinco años.
Their daughter was diagnosed with epileptic seizures at age five.
Crisis epilépticas is the formal medical term used in diagnoses and clinical reports.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Convulsiones
Using secuestro for seizure
Incorrect: Mi abuelo tuvo un secuestro ayer.
Correct: Mi abuelo tuvo una convulsión ayer.
Secuestro means kidnapping, not a medical seizure. This is a false cognate that can cause serious confusion. The medical term is convulsión (singular) or convulsiones (plural).
Incorrect gender with crisis
Incorrect: Tuvo un crisis epiléptico grave.
Correct: Tuvo una crisis epiléptica grave.
Crisis is feminine in Spanish (la crisis), even though it ends in -is. The adjective must agree: crisis epiléptica, not epiléptico.
Lock in Seizures 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 Convulsiones used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using convulsiones in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear El médico explicó cómo actuar si alguien tiene convulsiones. 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 Seizures in Spanish
- What is the difference between convulsión, ataque, and crisis epiléptica?
- Convulsión is the standard medical term for a seizure involving involuntary muscle contractions. Ataque is the informal, everyday word — similar to saying attack or fit in English. Crisis epiléptica is the precise clinical term used in medical records and formal diagnoses.
- How do I tell a Spanish-speaking doctor about a seizure history?
- You could say Tengo antecedentes de convulsiones (I have a history of seizures) or Mi hijo/a tiene epilepsia y a veces tiene crisis epilépticas (My child has epilepsy and sometimes has epileptic seizures).
- Is convulsiones only used for epileptic seizures?
- Convulsiones is a broader term that can refer to any seizure, including those caused by fever (convulsiones febriles), medication reactions, or other conditions. It is not limited to epilepsy.