esguince

sprain

noun es-GEEN-seh Rare

Usage Note

Esguince refers specifically to a ligament sprain, not a fracture or bruise. The most common context is esguince de tobillo (ankle sprain); you can also say hacerse un esguince for 'to sprain something'. Learners sometimes confuse it with torcedura, which overlaps but leans toward the twisting action itself.

Examples

"Me hice un esguince en el tobillo."

Natural Translation

I sprained my ankle.

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