In Spanish, cholera (the disease) is el cólera, a masculine noun pronounced “KOH-leh-rah” with stress on the first syllable.
If you landed on this page after typing “what is cholera in spanish?” into a search box, you likely want a quick, reliable translation and a bit of context. The short answer is that the disease called cholera in English translates to el cólera in Spanish. That single phrase carries grammar rules, pronunciation details, and even a second meaning that can confuse learners, so this article breaks everything down in plain language.
What Is Cholera In Spanish? Grammar Tips For Learners
In everyday health language, cholera in Spanish is el cólera. The accent on the first “o” and the use of the masculine article el matter a lot. Without the accent mark, colera looks wrong in standard Spanish. With the accent but the wrong article, you might say something quite different, because la cólera refers to anger or rage, not the infection.
When you answer the question “what is cholera in spanish?” in a medical context, you can safely say el cólera, and people will understand that you are talking about the intestinal disease linked to unsafe water and food. Dictionaries such as the Cambridge and WordReference English–Spanish dictionaries list cólera as the standard translation for cholera, marked as a masculine noun for the illness.
Broad Vocabulary Around Cholera In Spanish
Once you know that cholera is el cólera, it helps to see related terms side by side. This table gives you a quick reference list so you can read or talk about the disease with more confidence.
| English Term | Spanish Term | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| cholera | el cólera | Masculine noun for the disease. |
| cholera outbreak | un brote de cólera | Used in news reports about epidemic waves. |
| cholera case | un caso de cólera | Common in medical and public health reports. |
| cholera vaccine | la vacuna contra el cólera | Refers to oral vaccines used in risk areas. |
| cholera symptoms | los síntomas del cólera | Used in medical information leaflets. |
| contaminated water | agua contaminada | Frequent cause mentioned in health advice. |
| diarrheal disease | enfermedad diarreica | Category that includes cholera. |
| cholera treatment | tratamiento para el cólera | Usually involves rehydration and medical care. |
Masculine And Feminine Uses Of Cólera
Spanish adds an extra twist here. The same word, cólera, can appear with two different articles: el cólera and la cólera. With the masculine article el, the word refers to the infectious disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. With the feminine article la, speakers use it for strong anger or fury.
In older literature or poetic language, you might see wordplay where el cólera as disease and la cólera as rage appear side by side. In current medical writing, though, el cólera is the form you want. If you say tiene cólera in a health context, the meaning usually points to the infection, especially when other medical words appear near it.
Safe Default For Learners
If you need a simple rule for daily use, stick with el cólera when you talk about the disease and avoid la cólera unless you are sure you want to refer to anger. That choice keeps your Spanish clear in clinics, textbooks, and news articles about outbreaks.
Medical Meaning Of El Cólera In Spanish
Health agencies describe el cólera as an acute diarrheal disease caused by swallowing food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae. The World Health Organization cholera page in Spanish explains that the illness can lead to rapid dehydration and death if a person does not receive prompt treatment. Many infections cause few or no symptoms, but some people develop sudden, severe watery diarrhea and vomiting that demand urgent care.
The Pan American Health Organization describes cholera as a threat that still affects children and adults in several regions, especially where safe water and sanitation are limited. When you read Spanish news articles on outbreaks, you will see phrases such as casos sospechosos de cólera (suspected cholera cases), brotes de cólera (cholera outbreaks), and zonas afectadas por el cólera (areas affected by cholera). All of these use the same core word, cólera, that answers the question in the article title.
Plain-Language Summary For Learners
For language study, you do not need to memorize long clinical definitions. It helps to remember that in Spanish, cholera is el cólera, a serious intestinal infection that spreads through unsafe water and food, and that health texts often group it with other enfermedades diarreicas agudas (acute diarrheal diseases).
Pronunciation Tips For Cólera
Pronouncing cólera correctly gives you a more natural sound. The word has three syllables: CO-le-ra. The accent mark on the first “o” shows that the stress falls on that first syllable, not on the middle one. In Spanish phonetic terms, you are dealing with a word stressed on the antepenultimate syllable, called an esdrújula, which always carries an accent mark.
The letter “c” in cólera sounds like a hard “k” before “o”, so you say “KOH-leh-rah”. In many regions, the “r” is a single tap sound, lighter than the longer trill in words like perro. If you speak English, avoid turning the final “a” into a strong “uh” sound. Aim for a clean, open “ah” at the end.
Spelling Traps To Avoid
Learners sometimes write cholera with “ch” in Spanish, but that spelling belongs to English. In Spanish, the standard spelling is cólera. Another common mistake is dropping the accent and writing colera. Spellcheckers may accept that form in some contexts, yet for the medical term you should keep the accent mark so readers see the right stress pattern.
Grammar Patterns With El Cólera
Once you know the core noun, the next step is to see how el cólera behaves in real sentences. The word follows normal rules for masculine nouns in Spanish, and it combines with articles, adjectives, and verbs in predictable ways.
Articles, Plurals, And Adjectives
In the singular, you say el cólera. In the plural, you can say los cóleras, although health writing more often talks about casos de cólera (cases of cholera) rather than turning the noun itself into a plural. Common adjective patterns include:
- el cólera agudo – acute cholera
- el cólera grave – severe cholera
- el cólera epidémico – epidemic cholera
- el cólera endémico – endemic cholera
Adjectives follow the usual Spanish rule: they generally come after the noun and agree in gender and number. Since cólera is masculine in this sense, the adjectives here use masculine forms.
Common Verbs Around The Disease
In health writing and speech, you see certain verb patterns again and again with el cólera. Here are a few:
- contraer cólera – to contract cholera
- transmitir el cólera – to transmit cholera
- prevenir el cólera – to prevent cholera
- tratar el cólera – to treat cholera
- erradicar el cólera – to eradicate cholera
You might also read phrases such as brotes de cólera (cholera outbreaks) and casos notificados de cólera (reported cholera cases) in reports from ministries of health and international agencies.
Common Mistakes Learners Make
Learners who already know some Spanish often guess the translation and say la cólera for cholera. In health contexts, though, that feminine form sounds off or even humorous, because listeners may first think of anger. Keeping the masculine article el in mind helps you stay aligned with medical usage.
Another frequent problem appears in spelling. People who type quickly may skip accents and produce colera. In short messages between friends, that might still be understood, yet in professional settings, in homework, or in exam answers, cólera with the accent looks far better. The same goes for speaking: if you move the stress to the middle syllable and say co-LE-ra, many native speakers will notice something odd.
Finally, some learners treat cólera as countable in the same way as “a flu” or “a cold” in everyday English and try forms like un cólera outside specialized contexts. Health professionals usually speak of casos de cólera, not un cólera, when counting patients in Spanish.
Useful Spanish Phrases About Cholera
If you ever need to talk about cholera in Spanish during travel, work, or study, a small set of ready phrases makes conversations smoother. The goal here is not to replace medical advice, but to give you language tools so you can understand information leaflets, news reports, or basic questions at a clinic.
Ready-Made Sentences For Real Situations
The table below gathers practical phrases with cólera that match common communication needs, from asking what the disease is to talking about prevention and treatment.
| Communication Goal | Spanish Phrase | When To Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Ask “What is cholera?” | ¿Qué es el cólera? | When you want a basic explanation in Spanish. |
| Ask about symptoms | ¿Cuáles son los síntomas del cólera? | During a health talk or clinic visit. |
| Describe cause | El cólera se transmite por agua o alimentos contaminados. | To explain how the disease spreads. |
| Ask about risk in an area | ¿Hay casos de cólera en esta zona? | When entering a region with past outbreaks. |
| Talk about prevention | Queremos prevenir el cólera con agua segura y buena higiene. | In meetings about public health measures. |
| Mention treatment | El tratamiento del cólera requiere rehidratación rápida. | When summarizing basic medical care. |
| Ask about vaccination | ¿Hay vacuna contra el cólera disponible aquí? | In clinics or information sessions on vaccines. |
Adapting Phrases To Your Level
You can adjust these phrases to match your grammar level. Beginners might say only cólera plus a simple verb such as hay (“there is”), while advanced learners can build longer sentences with subordinate clauses and technical vocabulary. Practising aloud helps you remember the stress pattern in cólera and the masculine article el.
Final Notes On Cholera In Spanish
By now, the link between the English word cholera and the Spanish term el cólera should feel clear. You have seen how the word works with articles, adjectives, and verbs, how pronunciation depends on the accent mark, and how the same spelling changes meaning when you switch from el cólera (the disease) to la cólera (anger). You have also seen real phrases that show how Spanish speakers talk about outbreaks, symptoms, and prevention.
When you watch news in Spanish, read health brochures, or talk to professionals, keep your ear open for cólera in context. Treat this article as a reference you can revisit whenever you need to check gender, spelling, or common expressions. For any health concern about cholera itself, always follow advice from doctors and official health agencies; the aim here is to strengthen your Spanish, not to replace medical guidance.