What kind of shape are you in? What about your physical and mental condition? Are you starting to get a little creaky, a little slower, a little less flexible? Or are you one of those marvelously fit people that the rest of us envy? In Chapter 3 you learned that the verb estar is often used to describe physical and emotional states. Let's look at some examples in this particular context:

Estoy bien/mal.

(I am (feel) well/ill.)

Estoy enfermo(a), flojo(a), delgado(a), gordo(a)

(I am (feel) sick, weak, thin, fat.)

Gloria está en buena (mala) condición.

(Gloria is in good (bad) condition.)

Eloy está en buen/mal estado físico.

(Eloy is in good/bad physical shape.)

Para su edad, los abuelos están en forma.

(For their age, the grandparents are in shape.)

Another way to talk about how you feel is with the verb sentir and its reflexive form sentirse. The verb tener is also used to describe many physical conditions. Look at how these three verbs are used:

Siento/tengo un dolor en el pecho.

(I feel/have a pain in my chest.)

Marta tiene dolor de garganta y dolor de cabeza.

(Marta has a sore throat and a headache.)

¿Cómo se sienten ustedes?

(How do you feel?)

What's the Matter?

The verbs doler (o > ue), molestar, and preocupar use indirect object pronouns just like the verb gustar to express what is hurting, bothering, or worrying someone. Listen to the following questions and answers on Track 36 as you look at each example in the text. Repeat each after you hear it.

¿Qué te duele? Me duele mucho la cabeza.

(What hurts [you]? — My head hurts [me] a lot/ — I have a terrible headache.)

¿Qué les molesta? Nos molestan los pies.

(What is bothering you? — Our feet are bothering us.)

¿Qué le preocupa? Me preocupa mi peso.

(What are you worried about? -I'm worried about my weight.)

A Visit to the Doctor

The last thing you want when you're traveling is to get sick and have to see a doctor. This can be particularly intimidating when you don't speak the language well. Medical professionals tend to use lots of formulaic language and euphemisms for parts of the body and bodily functions, expressing many things so academically or delicately that they can be difficult to understand. If you do happen to need a doctor while you are visiting a Spanish-speaking country, don't be shy about reminding her that you don't speak the language well and would like her to speak slowly and clearly: No hablo bien (el) español; por favor hable despacio y claramente. Don't be reluctant to say you don't understand: Perdone, no comprendo, and insist that the doctor explain things again: Por favor, explique eso otra vez. It may be awkward, but it's best in the long run for you and the doctor to understand each other as well as possible.

A Visit to the Doctor

Listen to Track 37 to hear a few more common health issues that may come up during a visit to the doctor. Read the following as you listen.

¿Tiene fiebre, mareos, vómitos, diarrea?

(Do you have a fever, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea?)

¿Está embarazada?

(Are you pregnant?)

¿Cuando fue al baño la última vez?

(When did you last go to the bathroom?)

¿Tiene alergia a algún medicamento?

(Are you allergic to any medication?)

Voy a ponerle una inyección de antibióticos.

(I'm going to give you an injection of antibiotics.)

Voy a darle una receta para antihistaminas, un anti-inflamatorio, algo para calmarle el estómago, algo para bajarle la fiebre.

(I'm going to give you a prescription for antihistamines, an anti-inflammatory, something to calm your stomach, something to lower your fever.)