Corns on Feet in Spanish | Clear Terms For Your Next Visit

Foot corns translate to callos in Spanish, and you can mention them as callos en los pies during a medical visit.

If you live, travel, or work where Spanish is spoken, sooner or later you may need to talk about sore spots or thick skin on your toes. Clear words help you describe what hurts, follow advice, and feel calmer in the exam room. This article walks you through the main Spanish terms for corns on the feet, how doctors use them, and simple phrases you can use right away.

What Are Corns On The Feet?

Corns are small areas of thickened skin that form where your foot rubs against shoes or the ground again and again. Medical sources describe them as a type of hyperkeratosis, which means the outer skin layers grow thicker as protection against pressure and friction. Over time that extra hard skin can press inward and feel sore when you walk or wear tight shoes.

Corns often sit on the tops or sides of toes, while calluses spread over a wider area on the sole of the foot. Health organizations such as MedlinePlus explain that both corns and calluses come from repeated rubbing and pressure, but corns tend to hurt more when you press on them. Soft corns can also appear between the toes where skin stays damp and toes push against each other.

Common causes include shoes that are too tight or too loose, high heels that squeeze the toes, foot deformities, and activities that put extra pressure on certain spots. Guidance from Mayo Clinic notes that trimming your own corns with sharp tools can break the skin and raise infection risk, especially if you have diabetes or circulation problems. In those situations, seeing a doctor or podiatrist is safer than home treatment.

Knowing what a corn is in English helps you match it to the right Spanish word. The good news is that the basic term in Spanish is short, clear, and used across many countries.

Saying Corns On The Feet In Spanish At The Doctor

When you want to say “corns on my feet” in Spanish, the core word is callo (singular) or callos (plural). A simple phrase many patients use is tengo callos en los pies, which means “I have corns on my feet.” If just one spot hurts, you can say tengo un callo en el dedo del pie, or “I have a corn on my toe.”

Some doctors and podiatrists also use the term heloma for a corn. You might hear phrases such as heloma plantar (plantar corn) or heloma interdigital (corn between the toes). In everyday speech, most patients and many clinicians keep using callos because it is widely understood.

Spanish speakers in some regions use colorful expressions such as ojo de gallo for a painful corn between the toes. This phrase literally means “rooster’s eye.” Local podiatry pages in Spanish describe callos, helomas plantares and ojos de gallo as related forms of thickened skin due to friction and pressure on the foot. Whether you say callos, ojos de gallo, or both, your doctor will usually know you are talking about corns.

The Basic Vocabulary For Foot Corns In Spanish

Before you build longer phrases, it helps to know the main words and how they fit together. Here are the building blocks you will see again and again in clinics, leaflets, and Spanish language health sites.

English Term	Spanish Term	Notes
Corn (on toe)	Callo	General word for a small, thickened, often painful spot of skin.
Corns (on feet)	Callos en los pies	Very common way to mention corns on the feet as a group.
Callus	Callo / dureza	Dureza can describe broader hard skin on the sole.
Plantar corn	Heloma plantar	More technical phrase, often seen in podiatry articles.
Soft corn	Heloma blando	Soft corn between toes where the skin stays moist.
Corn between the toes	Ojo de gallo	Popular name in many regions; literally “rooster’s eye.”
Bunion (not a corn)	Juanete	Bony bump at the base of the big toe; different problem.

One point that confuses many learners is the food word maíz, which also translates to “corn.” In a medical or foot care context, though, people almost never use maíz to talk about the skin condition. Once you say callo en el pie or callos en los pies, Spanish speakers know you mean the thick, sore spots, not the grain.

Spanish language patient pages such as the callos overview on Foot Health Facts describe a callo as a small, round patch of thickened skin that forms because of shoe friction. That matches English descriptions from organizations such as the American Academy of Dermatology, which also link corns and calluses to repeated rubbing, pressure, and tight footwear.

Pronouncing The Main Spanish Terms

If you do not speak Spanish often, saying these words out loud before your appointment can make you feel more relaxed. Here are simple pronunciation tips in plain English spelling:

• Callo – sounds like “KAH-yo,” with the stress on the first syllable.
• Callos – “KAH-yos,” again with stress on the first part.
• Dureza – “doo-REH-tha” in Spain, “doo-REH-sa” in Latin America.
• Heloma – “eh-LO-ma.”
• Ojo de gallo – “OH-ho deh GAH-yo.”

You do not need a perfect accent. Most clinicians care far more about where it hurts and how long it has bothered you. Clear words and simple sentences already help that conversation move in the right direction.

Useful Spanish Phrases To Talk About Foot Corns

Once you know the key nouns, you can shape short sentences that describe what you feel. The phrases below stay simple on purpose, so they work even if you know only basic Spanish. You can read them from a note on your phone or piece of paper during your visit.

Explaining Your Symptoms

These phrases help you describe where the corn sits, how long it has been there, and what kind of pain you feel.

• Tengo callos en los pies. – I have corns on my feet.
• Tengo un callo en este dedo. – I have a corn on this toe.
• Me duele cuando camino o uso estos zapatos. – It hurts when I walk or wear these shoes.
• El callo está entre los dedos. – The corn is between my toes.
• El callo está en la planta del pie. – The corn is on the sole of my foot.
• Hace meses que tengo este callo. – I have had this corn for months.
• A veces se enrojece y arde. – Sometimes it turns red and burns.

If you have diabetes, nerve problems, or poor circulation, many medical sites and dermatology groups advise you to let the doctor know before any trimming or treatment. A short sentence such as también tengo diabetes (“I also have diabetes”) helps the clinician choose safer options.

Talking About Past Care And Home Remedies

Doctors often ask what you have already tried. Honest, simple answers make it easier to suggest the next step.

• He usado parches para callos de la farmacia. – I have used corn pads from the pharmacy.
• He limado el callo con una piedra pómez. – I have filed the corn with a pumice stone.
• No he cortado la piel con tijeras ni cuchillas. – I have not cut the skin with scissors or blades.
• He cambiado de zapatos, pero el callo sigue igual. – I changed shoes, but the corn is the same.

Medical pages such as MedlinePlus and the Cleveland Clinic stress that people with diabetes should not try to shave corns at home, as small cuts can turn into serious ulcers. If that applies to you, make sure to mention it during your visit, even if the appointment is mainly about language.

Common Questions You Can Ask In Spanish

Being able to ask short questions in Spanish keeps you involved in decisions about your feet. Here are simple lines you can learn or keep written down.

English Question	Spanish Question	When To Use It
What is this exactly?	¿Qué es esto exactamente?	When you want the doctor to name the problem.
Is it a corn or a callus?	¿Es un callo o una dureza?	To clarify which kind of thickened skin you have.
What caused this corn?	¿Qué causó este callo?	To learn about pressure, shoes, or other triggers.
What treatment do you recommend?	¿Qué tratamiento me recomienda?	When you want to know the next steps.
Can I walk as usual?	¿Puedo caminar como siempre?	To check if you should change your daily routine.
When should I come back?	¿Cuándo debo volver?	To plan follow-up care.
Can you write the name of this condition?	¿Puede escribir el nombre de esta condición?	So you can look it up later at home.

If your Spanish is basic, you can start with one or two of these questions. You can also ask the clinic to write down the answers or give you a printout in Spanish so you can read them slowly later on.

Tips For A Clear Talk With A Spanish-Speaking Doctor

Language gaps can feel stressful when your feet hurt, but a few small habits make visits smoother. These habits work whether you speak some Spanish or rely on an interpreter.

Bring Notes About Your Corns

Before the appointment, write down where the corns are, how long they have been there, and what makes them worse or better. You can write this in your main language and also copy one short Spanish line such as tengo callos dolorosos en los pies desde hace seis meses. Handing this note to the doctor saves time and avoids missed details.

Point To The Spot That Hurts

Words help, but pointing is still powerful. When the doctor looks at your feet, touch the exact corn or area that causes pain. You can say aquí duele (“it hurts here”) while you do it. That direct combination of words and gestures makes your message very clear, even if your accent is strong.

Use Simple Sentences And Slow Speech

Short, direct sentences are easier to understand than long stories. Try to use one idea per sentence, such as “me duele al caminar” or “no puedo usar zapatos cerrados.” Pause between sentences and check the doctor’s face to see if they appear to follow. If you are not sure, you can ask ¿me entiende? (“do you understand me?”) in a calm voice.

Ask For An Interpreter When Possible

Many clinics and hospitals can connect you with an in-person or phone interpreter, especially for Spanish. You can ask in English at the front desk or use a simple line such as necesito un intérprete de español. Even if you already know some phrases from this article, an interpreter can help with more complex instructions about care or medicine.

When To See A Doctor About Corns On Your Feet

Language tips only help if you also know when foot corns need medical attention. Health agencies such as MedlinePlus and large clinics describe several warning signs that should lead to an appointment instead of home care alone.

• The corn hurts so much that walking, standing, or wearing shoes feels hard.
• You see swelling, warmth, or drainage around the area, which can hint at infection.
• The skin around the corn looks very red or feels hot.
• You have diabetes, poor blood flow in your legs, or nerve damage in your feet.
• Home measures such as wider shoes and gentle filing do not change the corn over time.

During the visit, the doctor may trim the thickened skin, look at your shoes, or suggest pads that take pressure off sore spots. Advice from the Mayo Clinic and dermatology groups often includes wearing shoes with enough room for your toes and using protective cushions so friction does not keep building the same painful corn again.

If you cannot speak much Spanish, you still have options. You can bring a bilingual friend, use a translation app for single words, or hand over a printed list of phrases from this article. Many clinicians appreciate any effort that helps them understand what you feel, since that makes safe care easier for both of you.

Putting Your New Spanish Corn Vocabulary To Work

Talking about corns on the feet in Spanish does not require fluent grammar or long speeches. A handful of well chosen words and phrases already helps you describe the problem, ask for care, and understand basic advice. The core terms you need are callo, callos en los pies, dureza, heloma, and phrases such as tengo un callo en este dedo.

If you have a visit coming up, try saying the sentences in this article out loud once or twice at home. Bring a written list to your appointment, point to the exact place that hurts, and ask short questions about cause and care. With those steps, you give your doctor what they need most: a clear picture of your foot problem, even when you switch from English to Spanish.