How to say 80 important face and body parts in Spanish

May 30, 2023

Author

Marco Monroy

They say learning a new language is like acquiring a new soul… but how will you do that if you can’t say the body parts in that language?

If you’re trying to learn the parts of the body in Spanish, this guide is for you. Whether you just want to learn a few basic body parts in Spanish or need to learn how to say specific organs for a visit to the doctor’s office, we’ve got you covered.

Even if you don’t even know how to say body in Spanish, we’ll help you become a pro in no time! Our guide includes pronunciation help as well, so you can say each part of the body in Spanish without sounding like a foreigner.

We’ll also cover some songs and fun games to help you study. Are you ready? ¡Vámonos!

Learn the head and body parts in Spanish with this free poster.

Child learns body parts in Spanish at her visit to the doctor's office during a check up.

Why learn about Spanish body parts

Even if you’re not really interested in human anatomy, learning how to say the human body parts in Spanish is an essential part of every Spanish learner’s journey. Here are some great reasons to study Spanish body part names.

1. Facilitating doctor appointments

Nobody likes going to the doctor’s office, especially if you have to communicate in a language that you don’t fully master. However, one of the best ways to improve your Spanish is by putting yourself in situations that will push you out of your comfort zone. Even if you didn’t choose to get sick, you should try to think of this as an opportunity to expand your Spanish knowledge!

Luckily, you probably already know where the pain is or might have a hunch of what might be wrong with you. So, you’ll only have to memorize a handful of parts to make your appointment go significantly smoother!

2. Understanding common phrases and sayings

If you’ve been learning Spanish for a while, you probably already know that speakers of the language love using idioms, phrases and slang in Spanish. Many of them include body parts!

If you know the body part in question, you’ll have a much easier time understanding the phrase.

3. Ordering at the supermarket

Okay, yes, the human body does not have wings or tails, but it does have legs, thighs, breasts, and many other body parts in common with butcher cuts. Assuming you already know some animal vocabulary in Spanish (which is definitely worth studying!), you will be able to buy from the supermarket with ease.

Learn the head and body parts in Spanish with this free poster

For those of you who don’t like traditional study methods, we get you. Print this poster and stick it to your fridge for a great way to learn the parts of the body that don’t involve long hours at the library. I'm ready!

How to say “body” in Spanish

Child learns face parts in Spanish by pointing to his fathers nose and face.

Let’s start with the very basics: how to say body in Spanish. The word for body in Spanish is cuerpo (ˈkwɛɾpo) but keep in mind that you will almost always accompany it with an article: el cuerpo.

This is because most sentences where your body is involved will include a reflexive verb. If your Spanish lessons haven’t gotten to those yet, do not worry. Just know that a reflexive verb includes the subject in the verb.

So, a sentence like “My body hurts” will be translated as Me duele el cuerpo. Notice how you say el cuerpo instead of mi cuerpo? That’s because me duele is a reflexive verb, so the “my” part is already included. No need to say mi cuerpo in most cases!

The same is true for other body parts, so keep this in mind as we move on to review them.

Head in Spanish

Another important thing to learn is how to say head in Spanish. Not only is the head arguably the most important part of the body, but it is also a common body part for expressions. It’s also a part of many words that you may expect, like headache (dolor de cabeza) and some words you’d never expect, like puzzle (rompecabezas).

Without further ado, the Spanish word for head is cabeza (kaˈβesa). This is a feminine word, so its corresponding article will be feminine too: la cabeza.

Let’s dive into some of the parts of la cabeza.

Face parts in Spanish

Here are all the parts of the face in Spanish you should know to easily navigate any Spanish conversation about the face.

We’ve included the phonetic pronunciation as well as some regional variations as well so you can speak like it was your first language!

English	Spanish	Pronunciation	Regional variations
Head	La Cabeza	la kaˈβesa	El coco, la testa, la mollera, la calabaza, la cholla
Face	La Cara	la ˈkaɾa	La faz, el rostro, el haz, la jeta
Ears	Las Orejas	las oˈɾexas	Los oídos
Eyes	Los Ojos	los ˈoxos	-
Nose	La Nariz	la naˈɾis	-
Chin	La Barbilla	la βaɾˈβiʝa	La barba, la papada
Cheeks	Los Cachetes	los kaˈʧɛtes	-
Forehead	La Frente	la ˈfɾɛ̃nte	-
Jaw	La Quijada	la kiˈxaða	La mandíbula
Eyebrows	Las Cejas	las ˈsexas	-
Eyelashes	Las Pestañas	las pɛsˈtaɲas	-
Temple	Las sienes	las ˈsjenes	Las templas, el temporal, el hueso temporal
Nostril	Las fosas nasales	las ˈfosas̬ naˈsales	-
Lips	Los labios	los̬ ˈlaβjos	-
Mouth	La boca	la ˈβoka	El morro, el hocico, el pico
Teeth/Tooth	El diente / Los dientes	ɛl ˈdjɛ̃nte \| los̬ ˈðjɛ̃ntes	Los aferres, las muerdas, las claves
Tongue	La lengua	la ˈlɛ̃nɡwa	El sinhueso
Hair	El cabello / El pelo	ɛl kaˈβeʝo \| ɛl ˈpelo	La cabellera, la greña, la melena
Neck	El cuello	ɛl ˈkweʝo	El pescuezo, el cogote, el gollete, la garganta

More body parts in Spanish

Now that you’ve learned the parts of the face in Spanish, let’s put some flesh on the bones of this article (wink, wink) by learning about limbs, anatomy and parts. As usual, keep an eye on the phonetic spelling and regional variations so you never get caught off guard.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation	Regional variations
Legs	Las piernas	las ˈpjɛɾnas	Las extremidades, los miembros
Right leg	La pierna derecha	la ˈpjɛɾna ðɛˈɾeʧa	-
Left leg	La pierna izquierda	la ˈpjɛɾna i̯sˈkjɛɾða
Hands	Las manos	las̬ ˈmanos	-
Right hand	La mano derecha	la ˈmano ðɛˈɾeʧa	-
Left hand	La mano izquierda	la ˈmano i̯sˈkjɛɾða	-
Foot/feet	El pie / Los pies	ɛl ˈpje \| los ˈpjes	El pinrel, las patas
Right foot	El pie derecho	ɛl ˈpje ðɛˈɾeʧo	-
Left foot	El pie izquierdo	ɛl ˈpje i̯sˈkjɛɾðo	-
Shoulders	Los hombros	los ˈõmbɾos	Las hombreras
Right shoulder	El hombro derecho	ɛl ˈõmbɾo ðɛˈɾeʧo	-
Left shoulder	El hombro izquierdo	ɛl ˈõmbɾo i̯sˈkjɛɾðo	-
Toes	Los dedos de los pies	los̬ ˈðeðos̬ ðe los ˈpjes	-
Elbow	El codo	ɛl ˈkoðo	El codillo
Forearm	El antebrazo	ɛl ãnteˈβɾaso	-
Wrist	La muñeca	la muˈɲeka	El carpo
Fingers	Los dedos	los̬ ˈðeðos	Los dátiles
Thumb	El pulgar	ɛl pulˈɣaɾ	-
Index/Pointer Finger	El dedo índice	ɛl ˈdeðo ˈĩndise	-
Middle Finger	El dedo medio	ɛl ˈdeðo ˈmeðjo	-
Ring Finger	El dedo anular	ɛl ˈdeðo anuˈlaɾ
Pinky Finger	El meñique	ɛl meˈɲike	-
Knuckles	Los nudillos	los̬ nuˈðiʝos	-
Fingernails	Las uñas	las ˈuɲas	-
Fingertips	Las puntas de los dedos	las ˈpũntas̬ ðe los̬ ˈðeðos	-
Hip	La cadera	la kaˈðɛɾa	-
Bum	Los glúteos	los̬ ˈɣluteos	Las nalgas, las pompas, la cola, el trasero, las pompis
Thigh	El muslo	ɛl ˈmus̬lo	-
Knee	La rodilla	la roˈðiʝa	-
Calf	La pantorrilla	la pãntoˈriʝa	-
Ankle	El tobillo	ɛl toˈβiʝo	-
Heel	El talón	ɛl taˈlõn	-
Waist	La cintura	la sĩnˈtuɾa	El talle
Abs	Las abdominales	las aβðomiˈnales	-
Breast	Los senos	los ˈsenos	Los bustos, las tetas, el pecho
Chest	El pecho	ɛl ˈpeʧo	-
Skin	La piel	la ˈpjɛl	El cuero, el pellejo, la badana

Inside body parts in Spanish

Organs and other internal body parts may not sound glamorous, but these are often the most commonly-used phrases for them.

After all, what’s a phrase about love without mentioning the heart? Learn all about inside body parts in Spanish from our table below.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation	Regional variations
Brain	El cerebro	ɛl sɛˈɾeβɾo	-
Heart	El corazón	ɛl koɾaˈsõn	-
Lungs	Los pulmones	los pulˈmones	-
Muscle	Los músculos	los̬ ˈmuskulos	-
Stomach	El estómago	ɛl ɛsˈtomaɣo	La barriga, el baúl, la panza, el vientre
Bones	Los huesos	los ˈwesos	-
Liver	El hígado	ɛl ˈiɣaðo	-
Kidneys	Los riñones	los̬ riˈɲones	-
Ribs	Las costillas	las kosˈtiʝas	-
Spine	La columna vertebral	la koˈlũmna βɛɾteˈβɾal	La espina vertebral
Blood	La sangre	la ˈsãnɡɾe	-
Veins	Las venas	las̬ ˈβenas	-
Arteries	Las arterias	las aɾˈtɛɾjas	-
Esophagus	El esófago	ɛl eˈsofaɣo	-
Gallbladder	La vesícula	la βeˈsikula	-
Pancreas	El páncreas	ɛl ˈpãnkɾeas	-
Bladder	La vejiga	la βeˈxiɣa	-
Appendix	El apéndice	ɛl aˈpɛ̃ndise	-
Tonsils	Las anginas	las ãnˈxinas	-
Trachea	La tráquea	la ˈtɾakea	-
Spleen	El bazo	ɛl ˈβaso	-
Large intestine	El intestino grueso	ɛl ĩntɛsˈtino ˈɣɾweso	-
Small intestine	El intestino delgado	ɛl ĩntɛsˈtino ðɛlˈɣaðo	-
Colon	El colon	ɛl ˈkolõn	-

Spanish songs about the body

We get it, memorizing dozens of body parts in a new language is hard. With that said, studying Spanish never has to be boring! If you’re a musically-inclined learner, then there’s no better way for you to study than with Spanish songs about body parts.

Si Estás Feliz - Super Simple Español

If you’re a native English speaker, you probably remember the popular nursery rhyme “if you’re happy and you know it.” Si estás feliz is the Spanish equivalent of this song, and just like the English version, it will teach you what to do with your body if you’re happy (and you know it!).

El baile del cuerpo - COREOKIDS

If you’re more into dancing than singing, this song is perfect for you. From head to toes, this dance is sure to get you moving and engaging your body!

ADMV - Maluma

If you’re not into children’s music—we got you. Maluma is a hugely popular singer-songwriter who makes fiercely emotional Spanish-language music. His song AMDV (short for Amor De Mi Vida) is a must for romantics and, although it’s not explicitly about body parts, it does talk about all the body parts and how he’s still going to love his girl even after all their body parts grow old.

Body-related Spanish words, expressions and sayings

When we said there are many Spanish phrases and sayings that involve body parts, we meant it. Below are some of the most important phrases and words involving body parts.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Nobody	Nadie	ˈnaðje
Somebody	Alguien	ˈalɣjɛ̃n
Everybody	Todos	ˈtoðos
Bodyguard	Guardaespaldas	ɡwaɾðaɛsˈpaldas
Homebody	Hogareño	oɣaˈɾeɲo
Evil eye	Aojo	aˈoxo
Twist my arm	Dar mi brazo a torcer	ˈdaɾ mi ˈβɾaso a toɾˈsɛɾ
Fed up	Estar hasta la nariz	ɛsˈtaɾ ˈasta la naˈɾis
Get something off your chest	Sacar algo del pecho	saˈkaɾ ˈalɣo ðɛl ˈpeʧo
Cost an arm and a leg	Cuesta un ojo de la cara	ˈkwɛsta u̯n ˈoxo ðe la ˈkaɾa
Lend someone a hand	Echar la mano a alguien	eˈʧaɾ la ˈmano a ˈalɣjɛ̃n
Give an inch, take a mile	Te doy la mano y me tomas el brazo	te ˈðoi̯ la ˈmano i̯ me ˈtomas ɛl ˈβɾaso
To be the center of attention	Ser el ombligo del mundo	ˈsɛɾ ɛl õmˈbliɣo ðɛl ˈmũndo
To not have a filter	No tener pelos en la lengua	ˈno teˈnɛɾ ˈpelos ɛ̃n la ˈlɛ̃nɡwa
To be cheap	Ser codo	ˈsɛɾ ˈkoðo
To mess up	Meter la pata	mɛˈtɛɾ la ˈpata
To be stubborn	Ser de cabeza dura	ˈsɛɾ ðe kaˈβesa ˈðuɾa
Eye for an eye	Ojo por ojo	ˈoxo poɾ ˈoxo
Full tummy, happy heart	Barriga llena, corazón contento	baˈriɣa ˈʝena \| koɾaˈsõn kõnˈtɛ̃nto

Tips for learning Spanish body parts

If songs aren’t your thing, there are many other ways to easily memorize Spanish anatomy vocabulary. Here are a few effective and simple ways to learn body parts in Spanish.

1. Make it a game

There are so many great games you can play to memorize limbs and anatomy. Some of our favorites are:

Mr. Potato Head. This classic game incorporates almost all of the most important body parts: arms, eyes, mouth, nose, and more. Who cares if it’s a potato? His human body parts can help us learn about limbs!
Operation. This fun board game is available in Spanish as Operando. If you cannot find a Spanish-language Operando, simply use flashcards to make your own playing cards with Spanish body parts!
Monster drawings. Make a body parts in Spanish list and cut it up so that each body part is its own piece of paper. Put them in a cup and then draw some (up to you to decide how many!) body parts. Then you’ll have to draw a monster with only the body parts you drew! This can be a fun group game—the best monster wins!

2. Create fun worksheets

Creating worksheets can be a great way to test your knowledge and increase your chances of memorizing the body parts in the long term. You can find many great worksheets on the internet where you fill in the blanks for different body parts. Here are two great examples for a body worksheet and a face worksheet!

Hold your head high and keep studying!

Couple study body parts in Spanish online.

Learning a new language does require you to put in effort and time, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. With the right study tools, you will be able to master the body parts in Spanish.

Remember to always keep things fun and light in order to avoid getting dolor de cabeza from studying!

We hope you found this guide useful, and make sure to fill out the form below for more help learning Spanish! Good luck with your studies, and break a leg!

Next up, you might want to master all the various ways you can say hi in Spanish or conquer the Spanish alphabet.

Want even more? Check out our learning Spanish blog.