Spanish vocabulary · Intermediate
How to Say Surgery in Spanish: Cirugía
Cirugía · noun (feminine) · see-roo-HEE-ah
Surgery in Spanish is cirugía, a feminine noun used in both medical and casual contexts. Operación is a widely understood synonym, and intervención quirúrgica is the full formal term used in medical documentation.
Cirugía is pronounced see-roo-HEE-ah, with the stress on the third syllable. The accent on the i breaks the diphthong, giving the word four distinct syllables.
La cirugía duró tres horas y fue un éxito.
The surgery lasted three hours and was a success.
Surgery in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for surgery, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| cirugía | surgery | see-roo-HEE-ah | Default, widely understood |
| operación | surgery | commonly used as a synonym in everyday speech | |
| intervención quirúrgica | surgery | formal medical terminology |
How Native Speakers Use Cirugía
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Hospital conversation
El paciente se está recuperando bien después de la cirugía.
The patient is recovering well after the surgery.
A nurse providing a progress update to a family member.
Scheduling a procedure
La operación está programada para el lunes por la mañana.
The surgery is scheduled for Monday morning.
A doctor informing a patient about their upcoming procedure.
Cosmetic surgery
La cirugía estética se ha vuelto más accesible en los últimos años.
Cosmetic surgery has become more accessible in recent years.
Discussing trends in medical procedures.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Cirugía
Using cirujano instead of cirugía
Incorrect: Necesito una cirujano de rodilla.
Correct: Necesito una cirugía de rodilla.
Cirujano means surgeon (the person), while cirugía means surgery (the procedure). They share a root but have different meanings.
Wrong article gender
Incorrect: El cirugía fue complicado.
Correct: La cirugía fue complicada.
Cirugía is feminine, so it takes la and feminine adjectives like complicada.
Lock in Surgery 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 Cirugía used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using cirugía in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear La cirugía duró tres horas y fue un éxito. 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 Surgery in Spanish
- How do you say surgery in Spanish?
- Surgery translates to cirugía (see-roo-HEE-ah) in Spanish, and operación is a commonly used everyday synonym.
- What is the difference between cirugía and operación?
- Cirugía is the more technical and precise term, while operación is its casual counterpart that most Spanish speakers use interchangeably in daily conversation.
- How do you say 'surgeon' in Spanish?
- A surgeon is cirujano (masculine) or cirujana (feminine), derived from the same Latin root as cirugía.