Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say "Stomach" in Spanish: Estómago, Barriga, and Panza
Estómago · noun (masculine) · ehs-TOH-mah-goh
Stomach in Spanish is estómago (the anatomical organ), barriga (belly, informal), or panza (gut/tummy, informal). For stomach pain, the key phrase is me duele el estómago (my stomach hurts).
ehs-TOH-mah-goh — four syllables, stress on TOH. It's an esdrújula word (stress on the third-to-last syllable), hence the accent mark.
Me duele el estómago desde que comí esa sopa.
My stomach has been hurting since I ate that soup.
Stomach in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for stomach, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| estómago | stomach | ehs-TOH-mah-goh | Default, widely understood |
| barriga | stomach | Universal informal (belly/tummy) | |
| panza | stomach | Latin America informal (belly/gut) | |
| vientre | stomach | Formal/medical (abdomen) |
How Native Speakers Use Estómago
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Stomach pain
No me siento bien, me duele mucho el estómago.
I don't feel well, my stomach really hurts.
Me duele el estómago is essential medical/travel vocabulary for expressing discomfort.
Informal (belly)
Después de las vacaciones tengo que bajar la panza.
After vacation I need to lose the belly.
Panza and barriga refer casually to the belly or midsection, often in diet/fitness talk.
Medical context
El médico palpó el vientre del paciente durante la consulta.
The doctor palpated the patient's abdomen during the appointment.
Vientre is the formal/medical term for the abdominal area.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Estómago
Saying mi estómago duele (possessive + SVO order)
Incorrect: Mi estómago duele.
Correct: Me duele el estómago.
Spanish expresses body pain with an indirect object + doler construction: me duele el estómago (literally: the stomach hurts to me). Using possessive mi + SVO order sounds like a calque from English.
Confusing estómago with intestino
Incorrect: Tengo problemas de estómago. (when meaning intestinal issues)
Correct: Context-dependent: estómago for upper GI, intestino for lower.
Estómago is specifically the stomach organ (upper digestive tract). For lower abdominal issues, intestino (intestine) or vientre (abdomen generally) may be more accurate medically.
Lock in Stomach 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 Estómago used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using estómago in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Me duele el estómago desde que comí esa sopa. 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 Stomach in Spanish
- How do you say stomach in Spanish?
- Stomach is estómago (anatomical), barriga or panza (belly/tummy, informal), or vientre (abdomen, formal). For my stomach hurts: me duele el estómago.
- What's the difference between estómago, barriga, and panza?
- Estómago is the actual organ. Barriga and panza refer to the belly area externally (the physical midsection you can see and touch). Barriga is used everywhere; panza is slightly more informal and common in Latin America.
- How do you say stomachache in Spanish?
- Dolor de estómago (stomachache). To say you have one: tengo dolor de estómago or me duele el estómago. For more general abdominal pain: dolor abdominal or dolor de barriga (informal).