enfermo

sick person, patient

noun en-FEHR-moh Less Common

Usage Note

Enfermo functions as both noun ('sick person', 'patient') and adjective ('ill', 'sick'). As a noun, the feminine is enferma. Use estar enfermo (with estar) for a temporary state of illness — never ser enfermo for this meaning. The related noun enfermedad means 'illness', and enfermero/enfermera means 'nurse'.

Examples

"El médico atendió al enfermo de inmediato."

Natural Translation

The doctor attended to the sick person immediately.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Preterite vs. Imperfect: Spanish Past Tense Made Easy

Preterite vs. imperfect: use the preterite for finished events, the imperfect for ongoing scenery. A trigger-word cheat sheet, flowchart, and examples.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

El or La? Spanish Noun Gender Rules Made Simple

El or la? Spanish noun gender is ~99% readable off the word's ending. Learn the o/a defaults, LONERS, feminine endings, and the handful of rebels to memorize.

June 3, 2026 7 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Filler Words: 15 Ways to Sound Natural

Spanish filler words like pues, o sea, and vale make you sound natural, not robotic. Learn 15 muletillas sorted by job, by region, and when not to use them.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

The Spanish Cheek Kiss: Greeting Etiquette by Country

Two kisses in Spain, one in most of Latin America. Master the Spanish cheek kiss greeting — which cheek first, the air-kiss mechanics, and when to shake hands.

June 3, 2026 6 min read