From head to toe: Learn all body parts in Spanish

Body part names in Spanish are some of the most basic and useful words a Spanish language enthusiast can learn. Whether you’re at the doctor’s office, a clothing store, or scuba diving in Mexico, various parts of the body are more likely than you think to come up in conversation.

Do you have a headache and need a pill? Do you need to wash your hands? Do you have to tell someone that they have lovely eyes? Let’s learn the body parts in Spanish so you can say all of that and more.

The main parts of the human body in Spanish

The main or general parts of the body are likely to be the ones you use the most in your daily conversations. That is why we will begin with these high-frequency, high-value words and then move on to the other body parts.

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Now let’s move toward body parts in Spanish. The first thing you need to know is that ‘the body’ is called ‘el cuerpo’ in Spanish and ‘the human body’ is ‘el cuerpo humano’. Furthermore, ‘the parts of the body’ are ‘las partes del cuerpo’ and ‘the skeleton’ is ‘el esqueleto’

The names of the main body parts in Spanish are:

• (the) head — (la) cabeza
• (the) hair — (el) pelo
• (the) neck — (el) cuello
• (the) chest — (el) pecho
• (the) arm — (el) brazo
• (the) finger — (el) dedo
• (the) foot — (el) pie
• (the) face — (la) cara
• (the) eye — (el) ojo
• (the) hand — (la) mano
• (the) nose — (la) nariz
• (the) mouth — (la) boca
• (the) leg — (la) pierna
• (the) knee — (la) rodilla

You can use different Spanish dictionary apps and Spanish learning apps to explore the detailed meaning as well as the correct pronunciation of these words. These apps are highly beneficial for every Spanish learner. You can simply download these apps on your smartphone and you are good to go!

Body parts in Spanish: head

Now that you know that ‘head’ is ‘cabeza’ in Spanish, let’s move on to all the body parts that can be found on and in the head. For example, did you know that the Spanish word for “brain” is “cerebro”?

Given the available square centimeters, the head is most likely the most “crowded” area on the human body. This region contains the following body parts:

• (the) brain — (el) cerebro
• (the) face — (la) cara
• (the) hair — (el pelo)
• (the) forehead — (la) frente
• (the) cheek — (la) mejilla
• (the) ear — (la) oreja (the inside ear is ‘el oído’)
• (the) eye — (el) ojo
• (the) eyelid — (el) párpado
• (the) eyelashes — (las) pestañas
• (the) eyebrows — (las) cejas
• (the) nose — (la) nariz
• (the) mouth — (la boca)
• (the) lips — (los) labios
• (the) tongue — (la) lengua
• (the) tooth — (el) diente (plural: los dientes)
• (the) throat — (la) garganta
• (the) jaw — (la) la mandíbula
• (the) chin — (la) barbilla
• (the) skull — (el) cráneo

Body parts in Spanish: from neck to torso

It’s time to investigate the location of the most important organ: the heart. Some may argue that el cerebro (‘the brain’) is more important, but the heart (‘el corazón’) is the organ responsible for pumping blood throughout the body.

Did you know that your heart beats approximately 115,000 times per day and pumps approximately 6,000-7,500 liters (1,500-2,000 gallons) of blood? Make sure you laugh a lot to better care for it. Laughter relieves stress, strengthens the immune system, and strengthens the heart.

But don’t get too far ahead of ourselves and learn the Spanish names for the body parts located between the neck and the torso:

• (the) neck — (el) cuello
• (the) organs — (los) órganos
• (the) heart — (el) corazón
• (the) stomach — (el) estómago
• (the) lungs — (los) pulmones
• (the) liver — (el) hígado
• (the) kidneys — (los) riñones
• (the) intestines — (los) intestinos
• (the) skin — (la) piel
• (the) muscle — (el) músculo
• (the) bone — (el) hueso
• (the) spine — (la) espina
• (the) backbone — (la) columna vertebral
• (the) back — (la) espalda
• (the) shoulder — (el) hombro
• (the) arm — (el) brazo
• (the) forearm — (el) antebrazo
• (the) elbow — (el) codo
• (the) wrist — (la) muñeca
• (the) hand — (el) mano
• (the) palm — (la) palma
• (the) finger — (el) dedo
• (the) thumb — (el) pulgar
• (the) fingernails — (las) uñas
• (the) chest — (el) pecho
• (the) breast — (la) pechunga or (el) seno
• (the) ribs — (las) costillas
• (the) waist — (la) cintura
• (the) navel — (el) ombligo
• (the) hip — (la) cadera
• (the) torso — (el) torso

Body parts in Spanish: legs and feet

We promised to give you the Spanish names for every body part from head to toe, didn’t we? Here is the complete ‘body of knowledge’ for legs, feet, and toes.

·         (the) buttocks — (las) nalgas

·         (the) leg — (la) pierna

·         (the) thigh — (el) muslo

·         (the) knee — (la) rodilla

·         (the) calf — (la) pantorrilla

·         (the) ankle — (el) tobillo

·         (the) foot — (el) pie

·         (the) toe — (el) dedo de la pie (‘dedo’ can refer to both fingers and toes)

·         (the) heel — (el) talon

Spanish grammar rules

When it comes to body parts in Spanish, there is nothing too difficult in terms of grammar. You just need to remember that in Spanish, names of body parts are more likely to be followed by the definite articles el, la, los, and las (meaning ‘the’) rather than the usual English possessive adjectives like ‘my’, ‘your’, ‘our’, or ‘their’.

For example:

·         Me duele el pie. (‘My foot hurts.’)

·         Protéjase las manos con guantes. (‘Protect your hands with gloves.’)

However, when it comes to clarity, Spanish does not shy away from using possessive adjectives. For example:

·         Sus brazos son atléticos. (‘His arms are athletic.’)

·         Sal de tu pecho. (‘Get it off your chest.’)

Apart from this, there are situations when Spanish uses the definite article, but English drops even the possessive adjective.

·         Tengo los ojos azules. (I have blue eyes.)

There is plenty of Spanish content available online, that can help you learn Spanish for free. Watch Spanish media (books, series, music, documentaries, etc.). It will help you enrich your vocabulary, learn Spanish pronunciation, and the art of structuring sentences.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What body part is Muneca?

A. Wrist

Q. What are the fingers called in Spanish?

A. The most commonly used words for body parts in Spanish are: (the) chest — (el) pecho. (the) arm — (el) brazo. (the) finger — (el) dedo.

Q. Is leg masculine or feminine in Spanish?

A. la mujer (“the woman”) is obviously feminine, but un brazo (“an arm” ) is masculine and una pierna (“a leg” ) is feminine.

 Conclusion

These were some of the major body parts in Spanish. It is important for every Spanish learner to master the body parts, days of the week in Spanish and names of months, etc., as these words are widely used in Spanish conversations on daily basis.

Try to practice these words as it will help you develop the right pronunciation and gives you clarity with the contextual usage of these words in Spanish sentences.