How to Say Freckles, Pimples, Dimples, Cold Sores, Blackheads, and Warts in Spanish
Today we will learn how to say freckles, pimples, dimples, cold sores, moles, blackheads, and warts in English. I will start by telling an experience that I had here in Medellín, Colombia, that made me realize that it is important to know how to say these words in Spanish. This story will also help you learn these words in Spanish.
Yesterday I was supposed to start “therapy” (therapy) for my “shoulder” (shoulder). I hurt my shoulder here in Medellín, Colombia doing a sport called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (or in Spanish “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu”). If you’re not familiar with BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu), you can think of it as a combination of “lucha libre” (wrestling) and judo.
When I arrived ready to start my therapy session, the receptionist told me in Spanish that she had no record of my appointment. I told her that I had walked in a few days ago when she was in the area and made my in-person appointment with a completely different receptionist. But she insisted that there was no record of my appointment to start my therapy session and that it would be necessary for me to make another appointment to start my therapy and come back another day.
It was then that I asked him if there was anything I could do considering that he was unable to locate any records of my appointment and that I had traveled quite a bit to begin my therapy sessions.
And then he asked me about the other receptionist, the one who made the appointment. How are you? How does it look? (How is she?)
It was then that I told her in Spanish that the receptionist who made the appointment for me had freckles, dimples, and a mole. Actually, I thought the mole was kind of cute, so I told her in Spanish.
that the other receptionist had a mole on her face. She also had a horrible cold sore on her mouth, but I didn’t bother to mention it in any language.
With that description, the receptionist was able to locate the other receptionist (who was on a different floor at the time) and eventually confirmed my appointment so I could start my therapy right away and not have to come back another day to start.
It was then that I realized how important it can be to know how to say freckles, dimples, pimples, cold sores, etc., in Spanish. So I want to share these words with you so you’ll know them in case you ever need to use them.
1. Dimple – Dimple
When Claudia laughs at them, dimples form on her cheeks.
When Claudia laughs, dimples form in her cheeks.
By the way, the word that people use for dimples in Colombia is “huequitos” instead of “hoyuelos”. “Huequitos” literally means “little holes”. Here in Colombia, they also tend to use the word “cachés” instead of “cheek” for the English word cheeks.
2. Pimples – Pimples
That teenager has lots of pimples on his face.
That teenager has lots of pimples on his face.
Depending on what a pimple looks like and where it is located on the body, Spanish speakers may also use the words “barro” and “barrito.”
3. Birthmark – birthmark
I can’t see your birthmark.
I can’t see your birthmark.
Instead of “marca de nacimiento”, you can also hear Spanish speakers say “mancha de nacimiento”.
4. Freckles – Freckles
The waitress has freckles on her face.
The waitress has freckles on her face.
5. Mole-Moon
Her mole is a beauty mark.
Your mole is a beauty mark.
6. Fever Blisters or Cold Sores – Sores
She didn’t want to kiss him because she had sores on her mouth.
She didn’t want to kiss him because she had cold sores on her mouth.
In addition to “sores,” a very formal phrase you may hear, especially in Spain, is “herpes labialis” (literally, “herpes of the lips”). I never use the term “herpes labialis” for obvious reasons…
That’s because if I had a cold sore on my mouth I’d rather have someone tell me I had a “mouth sore” than “cold sores.”
Now let me give you a very informal word for cold sores that you may hear not only in Colombia but in other parts of Latin America:
Fuegos en la boca (lit. “fire in the mouth”) or just “fires” for short.
By the way, I’ve heard Mexicans use the word “afta” for cold sores, but you might want to check with someone from Mexico because my Spanish dictionary says “afta” is “an ulcer in the mouth.”
7. mark – stain
She has a small spot on her forehead.
He has a small mark on his forehead.
8. Pimples – Pimples
I got a pimple on my back.
A black dot came out of my back.
Another word for pimples that is commonly used in Latin America is “punto negros,” literally “blackheads.”
9. Wart – Wart
I had a wart on my hand.
He had a wart on his hand.
Leave a Reply