You might see your body as a temple, an earthly vessel for the soul, or (in the words of John Mayer) a wonderland. However you view it, your body is your most precious possession, and we’ve all got one — and only one. If you’re learning to speak a foreign language like Spanish, it only makes sense that you’d want to find ways to talk about the parts of the body in Spanish, as the body is universal subject matter for speakers of all languages.
Maybe you’re surfing in Costa Rica and you want to understand what the instructor says when he tells you where to place las manos and los pies. Or heaven forbid you find yourself in the doctor’s office or the hospital — let’s hope it’s not after a nasty surfing accident — and you need to describe exactly where on your body you feel el dolor. Regardless of the circumstances, there’s no question you should learn how to talk about Spanish body parts; it’s a no-brainer. (Cue the eye roll.)
If you’ve always been curious about el cuerpo, keep reading to learn how to name the parts of the body in Spanish. (If you’re looking for some slangier terms for more risqué body parts, though, you’ll need to look elsewhere.) Click on the play button before each word to hear it pronounced by a native speaker!
Talking About Spanish Body Parts
An important grammatical note about the parts of the body in Spanish is that Spanish speakers are more likely to use the definite articles el, la, los and las (all meaning “the”) in places where English speakers would use possessive pronouns like “my,” “your” and “their.” So, if you wanted to say, “My head hurts,” or “He closed his eyes,” you’d say Me duele la cabeza and Él cerró los ojos. (If the context requires that you specify whom exactly you’re talking about, however, you can choose to use possessive pronouns like mi, tu or su to make it clear.)
Parts Of The Face In Spanish
face — la cara
eye — el ojo
nose — la nariz
forehead — la frente
eyebrow — la ceja
mouth — la boca
tooth — el diente
tongue — la lengua
lip — el labio
ear — la oreja
chin — la barbilla
cheek — la mejilla
Parts Of The (Greater) Body In Spanish
body — el cuerpo
part of the body — la parte del cuerpo
head — la cabeza
brain — el cerebro
skin — la piel
hair — el pelo
neck — el cuello
throat — la garganta
arm — el brazo
leg — la pierna
hand — la mano
finger — el dedo
foot — el pie
toe — el dedo del pie
knee — la rodilla
elbow — el codo
ankle — el tobillo
wrist — la muñeca
chest — el pecho
back — la espalda
waist — la cintura
stomach — la barriga
shoulder — el hombro