SpanishA2Lesson 4.2
🇪🇸 Spanish A2 · Lesson 4.2

En el médico — At the doctor's

Understand and give advice with deber and tener que.

Listen first

A doctor examines a patient and gives advice and a prescription.

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New vocabulary — tap to hear
el médico / la médicathe doctor 🔊
la recetathe prescription 🔊
la pastillathe pill / tablet 🔊
descansarto rest 🔊
deberíasyou should 🔊
la farmaciathe pharmacy 🔊

Now say it

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« Deberías descansar y tienes que tomar las pastillas dos veces al día. » 🔊
You should rest and you have to take the tablets twice a day.
Pronunciation

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Read the dialogue

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Doctora, me duele mucho la garganta y tengo tos. 🔊Doctor, my throat hurts a lot and I have a cough.
Tienes una infección. Deberías descansar unos días. 🔊You have an infection. You should rest for a few days.
¿Tengo que tomar algo? 🔊Do I have to take anything?
Sí, toma estas pastillas dos veces al día. Aquí tienes la receta. 🔊Yes, take these tablets twice a day. Here's the prescription.
Muy bien. ¿Hay una farmacia cerca? 🔊Alright. Is there a pharmacy nearby?
Grammar in focus · dar consejos

To give advice, Spanish has three useful tools. 1) deberías + infinitive ('you should'): 'Deberías descansar.' This is the conditional and sounds gentle. 2) tener que + infinitive ('have to', stronger obligation): 'Tienes que tomar las pastillas.' 3) The affirmative imperative for tú, which often looks like the él/ella present: tomar → ¡toma!, beber → ¡bebe!, descansar → ¡descansa! Common irregulars: hacer → haz, ir → ve, poner → pon. Use these for direct instructions: 'Toma estas pastillas dos veces al día.'

Write it yourself

Write 2–3 sentences giving a sick friend advice.

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Tip for this task
¡Muy bien! Mix « Deberías beber agua » with the imperative « Descansa un poco ».

Quick check

An adaptive quiz confirms you've got it and schedules the right words for review.

1. “you should rest” is…
2. The tú imperative of tomar is…
3. “the prescription” is…
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