When someone has a cut that is deep, a doctor or nurse might need to close it up. They do this by sewing the skin together with a special needle and thread. This action is called suturar in Spanish.
Think of it like sewing clothes, but for skin. The stitches help the cut heal cleanly and stop bleeding. So, if you hear someone say they need to suturar a wound, it means they are going to stitch it up.
When someone says suturar, they are talking about sewing something up. Imagine you have a cut, and a doctor needs to close it. They would suturar the wound.
You might also hear it when talking about mending clothes, though coser is more common for that. It’s a useful verb to know, especially if you ever need to describe medical procedures or even just putting things back together very carefully.
Wusstest du?
The English word 'suture' also comes from the same Latin root.
Aussprachehilfe
- pronouncing the 'u' as in 'cut'
- not rolling the 'r' sufficiently
Schwierigkeitsgrad
short
short
short
short
Was du als Nächstes lernen solltest
Voraussetzungen
Als Nächstes lernen
Fortgeschritten
Beispiele nach Niveau
Tras el accidente, los cirujanos tuvieron que suturar la herida profundamente para asegurar una correcta cicatrización.
After the accident, the surgeons had to stitch the wound deeply to ensure proper healing.
Use of 'tuvieron que' (past tense of 'tener que') indicates obligation in the past.
La enfermera explicó cómo suturar pequeños cortes en casa usando un kit de primeros auxilios, aunque siempre recomendó asistencia profesional para heridas más graves.
The nurse explained how to stitch small cuts at home using a first aid kit, though she always recommended professional assistance for more serious wounds.
The verb 'explicó' (preterite) introduces an explanation. 'Cómo suturar' uses the infinitive after 'cómo' to describe 'how to' do something.
Los sastres expertos pueden suturar una prenda de vestir casi sin dejar rastro de la rotura original.
Expert tailors can stitch a garment almost without leaving a trace of the original tear.
The phrase 'sin dejar rastro' means 'without leaving a trace.' 'De la rotura original' specifies what trace is not left.
El cirujano plástico tuvo la delicada tarea de suturar el rostro del paciente con una precisión milimétrica para minimizar las cicatrices.
The plastic surgeon had the delicate task of stitching the patient's face with millimeter precision to minimize scars.
'Tuvo la delicada tarea' indicates a past obligation or role. 'Con una precisión milimétrica' describes the manner of suturing.
A veces, en la medicina de campo, es necesario suturar heridas en condiciones adversas con los recursos disponibles.
Sometimes, in field medicine, it's necessary to stitch wounds in adverse conditions with available resources.
'Es necesario' indicates necessity. 'En condiciones adversas' describes the circumstances.
Antes de cerrar el caso, el médico revisó cuidadosamente cómo había suturado el interno la incisión.
Before closing the case, the doctor carefully reviewed how the intern had stitched the incision.
The past perfect 'había suturado' indicates an action completed before another past action ('revisó').
El aprendizaje de técnicas básicas para suturar es fundamental para cualquier estudiante de medicina.
Learning basic stitching techniques is fundamental for any medical student.
'El aprendizaje de' acts as a noun phrase, meaning 'the learning of.' 'Es fundamental para' expresses importance for someone.
Aunque parezca simple, suturar un tejido dañado requiere una gran destreza y conocimiento anatómico.
Although it seems simple, stitching damaged tissue requires great skill and anatomical knowledge.
'Aunque parezca simple' means 'although it may seem simple.' The infinitive 'suturar' acts as the subject of the sentence.
Häufige Kollokationen
Häufige Phrasen
Hay que suturar la herida antes de que se infecte.
We have to stitch the wound before it gets infected.
¿Puedes suturar esto?
Can you stitch this?
El médico va a suturar la piel.
The doctor is going to suture the skin.
Necesitamos suturar el corte inmediatamente.
We need to stitch the cut immediately.
Aprendí a suturar en la escuela de enfermería.
I learned to suture in nursing school.
No es necesario suturar; es un corte pequeño.
It's not necessary to stitch; it's a small cut.
Suturar bien es importante para la cicatrización.
Suturing well is important for healing.
Pidió al asistente que suturara la incisión.
He asked the assistant to suture the incision.
Van a suturar con hilo absorbible.
They are going to stitch with dissolvable thread.
Si no suturas, podría dejar una cicatriz más grande.
If you don't stitch, it could leave a bigger scar.
Wird oft verwechselt mit
General sewing, not medical.
Repairing fabric, not wounds.
General joining, not specifically with stitches for wounds.
Leicht verwechselbar
'Suturar' and 'coser' both involve joining things with thread, but they're used in different contexts.
'Coser' is the general term for sewing, like clothes. 'Suturar' is specifically for closing wounds with stitches.
Voy a coser el botón de mi camisa. (I'm going to sew the button on my shirt.) / El médico tuvo que suturar la herida. (The doctor had to suture the wound.)
Like 'coser', 'remendar' can also mean to repair with stitches, leading to confusion with 'suturar'.
'Remendar' means to mend or patch something, usually fabric or clothes. 'Suturar' is for medical stitching.
Mi abuela remendó mis pantalones rotos. (My grandmother mended my torn pants.) / Es necesario suturar la incisión después de la cirugía. (It's necessary to suture the incision after surgery.)
'Unir' means to join or unite, which can seem similar to the action of 'suturar' (joining skin).
'Unir' is a very general term for bringing things together. 'Suturar' is a specific method of joining using stitches, particularly in a medical context.
Vamos a unir las dos piezas de madera. (We are going to join the two pieces of wood.) / El cirujano suturó los bordes de la piel cuidadosamente. (The surgeon carefully sutured the edges of the skin.)
'Ligar' can mean to bind or tie, which might evoke the idea of 'suturar' (tying off stitches).
'Ligar' is about binding or tying, often with a rope or band, or even forming a bond between people. 'Suturar' is specifically about stitching wounds.
El paquete está ligado con una cuerda. (The package is tied with a string.) / Hay que ligar las arterias para detener la hemorragia. (You have to ligate the arteries to stop the bleeding.) (Note: 'ligar' has a medical use too, but it's for tying off vessels, not stitching tissue.)
Since 'suturar' closes a wound, 'cerrar' (to close) might seem like a synonym.
'Cerrar' is a broad term for closing anything (a door, an eye, a business). 'Suturar' is the specific method of closing a wound with stitches.
Cierra la puerta, por favor. (Close the door, please.) / Después de limpiar la herida, el enfermero procedió a suturar. (After cleaning the wound, the nurse proceeded to suture.)
Tipps
Medical Context
You'll most often hear 'suturar' in a medical context, like a doctor or nurse talking about closing a wound.
Pronunciation Practice
Practice saying 'suturar' aloud. The 's' is like in 'sit', the 'u' like in 'flute', and the 'r' is a single-tap 'r'.
Conjugation
Remember it's a regular '-ar' verb. For example, 'yo suturo' (I suture), 'él suturó' (he sutured).
Related Noun
The noun form is 'la sutura' (the suture or the stitch). This is also very common.
Informal Usage
While primarily medical, sometimes you might hear it used metaphorically for 'mending' or 'fixing' something broken, like 'suturar una relación' (to mend a relationship).
Common Phrase
You might hear 'suturar una herida' (to suture a wound). This is a very common collocation.
Not for Sewing Clothes
Do NOT use 'suturar' if you mean to sew clothes. For that, use 'coser'.
Visual Aid
Think of a doctor using a needle and thread to close a cut. That's 'suturar'.
Etymology Note
The word 'suturar' comes from the Latin 'sutura', meaning 'a seam' or 'a sewing'. This can help you remember its core meaning.
Sentence Example
El médico tuvo que suturar la herida. (The doctor had to suture the wound.)
Wortherkunft
Latin 'sutura' (a seam, a sewing), from 'suere' (to sew)
Ursprüngliche Bedeutung: to sew
Indo-European (Italic branch)Kultureller Kontext
<p>While 'suturar' is primarily a medical term, its root meaning of 'to sew' connects it to everyday life. You might hear it in contexts beyond surgery, for example, when talking about repairing something meticulously.</p>
Im Alltag üben
Kontexte aus dem Alltag
Medical procedures
- El médico va a suturar la herida. (The doctor is going to stitch the wound.)
- Necesitan suturar el corte profundamente. (They need to suture the cut deeply.)
- ¿Cuántos puntos se necesitan para suturar esto? (How many stitches are needed to suture this?)
Surgery
- Durante la cirugía, el cirujano debe suturar con cuidado. (During surgery, the surgeon must suture carefully.)
- Se usó hilo reabsorbible para suturar internamente. (Reabsorbable thread was used to suture internally.)
- Después de suturar, la enfermera aplicó un vendaje. (After suturing, the nurse applied a bandage.)
First aid
- Si la herida es profunda, hay que suturar. (If the wound is deep, it needs to be stitched.)
- No pude suturar la herida yo mismo. (I couldn't stitch the wound myself.)
- A veces, las heridas pequeñas no necesitan ser suturadas. (Sometimes, small wounds don't need to be stitched.)
Figurative use (less common but possible)
- Intentaron suturar las relaciones rotas. (They tried to mend the broken relationships.)
- Es difícil suturar las diferencias entre ellos. (It's difficult to bridge the differences between them.)
- Con el tiempo, esperamos suturar las heridas emocionales. (With time, we hope to heal the emotional wounds.)
Veterinary care
- El veterinario tuvo que suturar la pata del perro. (The veterinarian had to stitch the dog's paw.)
- Es importante suturar la herida para evitar infecciones. (It's important to suture the wound to prevent infections.)
- ¿Hay que sedar al animal para suturar? (Does the animal need to be sedated for suturing?)
Gesprächseinstiege
"¿Alguna vez te han tenido que suturar una herida? (Have you ever had a wound stitched?)"
"¿Crees que es importante saber primeros auxilios, incluyendo cómo suturar en una emergencia (aunque un profesional debería hacerlo)? (Do you think it's important to know first aid, including how to suture in an emergency - though a professional should do it?)"
"¿Qué tipo de heridas crees que siempre necesitan ser suturadas? (What kind of wounds do you think always need to be stitched?)"
"¿Conoces a alguien que trabaje en medicina y tenga que suturar a menudo? (Do you know anyone who works in medicine and has to suture often?)"
"Si tuvieras una herida grande, ¿preferirías que la suturaran o usarán otra técnica? (If you had a big wound, would you prefer it to be stitched or another technique used?)"
Tagebuch-Impulse
Describe una situación en la que alguien necesitó suturar una herida. (Describe a situation where someone needed to stitch a wound.)
Imagina que eres un médico. Describe el proceso de suturar una herida. (Imagine you are a doctor. Describe the process of stitching a wound.)
Escribe sobre la importancia de la higiene al suturar una herida. (Write about the importance of hygiene when stitching a wound.)
Reflexiona sobre cómo el conocimiento de palabras como 'suturar' es útil en situaciones de emergencia. (Reflect on how knowing words like 'suturar' is useful in emergency situations.)
Compara el acto de suturar una herida física con la idea de 'suturar' una relación o una situación difícil. (Compare the act of stitching a physical wound with the idea of 'stitching' a relationship or a difficult situation.)
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenWhile both mean 'to sew,' 'coser' is for general sewing (like clothes), and 'suturar' is specifically for stitching wounds or surgical incisions. You wouldn't 'coser' a patient, and you wouldn't typically 'suturar' a shirt.
You'd use it in medical contexts. For example:
- 'El médico tuvo que suturar la herida.' (The doctor had to stitch the wound.)
- 'Necesitaron suturar después de la operación.' (They needed to suture after the operation.)
Not really in common, everyday Spanish. It's almost exclusively used in a medical or surgical sense. If you hear it, think 'medical stitching.'
The most common phrases involve the direct action:
- 'suturar una herida' (to stitch a wound)
- 'suturar un corte' (to stitch a cut)
It's a regular -ar verb. Here's a quick look:
- Yo suturo (I stitch)
- Tú suturas (You stitch)
- Él/Ella/Usted sutura (He/She/You formal stitch)
- Nosotros suturamos (We stitch)
- Vosotros suturáis (You all stitch, informal in Spain)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes suturan (They/You all formal stitch)
The noun form is 'la sutura', which means 'the stitch' or 'the suture' itself. For example, 'Le quitaron las suturas.' (They removed his stitches.)
It's a standard, formal medical term. You'd use it in professional or clinical settings. It's not slang.
Yes, for very small cuts that don't need stitches, you might hear 'pegar la herida con pegamento quirúrgico' (to glue the wound with surgical glue). But 'suturar' implies actual stitching.
In the preterite (simple past):
- Yo suturé (I stitched)
- Él/Ella/Usted suturó (He/She/You formal stitched)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes suturaron (They/You all formal stitched)
It generally refers to a temporary stitch that will either dissolve or be removed. The act of 'suturar' itself is the process of putting in those stitches for healing.
Teste dich selbst 36 Fragen
The doctor needs to stitch the wound.
They are going to stitch my hand today.
She doesn't know how to stitch.
Read this aloud:
Necesito suturar esto.
Focus: soo-too-RAR
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Puedes suturar el corte?
Focus: PWEE-dehs soo-too-RAR el KOR-teh?
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
No puedo suturar.
Focus: NO PWEE-doh soo-too-RAR
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Imagine you cut your finger while cooking. Write two sentences about what you need to do.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Me corté el dedo. Necesito ir al doctor para suturar la herida.
Your friend had surgery. Write two sentences to ask them how they are feeling and if the stitches are okay.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
¿Cómo te sientes después de la operación? ¿Están bien tus suturas?
Describe a time someone might need stitches, using one or two sentences.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Si te haces una cortada profunda, el doctor necesita suturarla. A veces pasa en un accidente.
¿Qué hubiera pasado si la herida de María fuera más profunda?
Read this passage:
María se cayó de la bicicleta y se raspó la rodilla. La herida no fue muy grave, pero su mamá dijo que si fuera más profunda, el doctor tendría que suturar. María solo necesitó una curita.
¿Qué hubiera pasado si la herida de María fuera más profunda?
El pasaje dice que 'si fuera más profunda, el doctor tendría que suturar'.
El pasaje dice que 'si fuera más profunda, el doctor tendría que suturar'.
¿Qué hizo el veterinario con la herida del perro?
Read this passage:
El veterinario examinó al perro. Tenía una herida pequeña en la pata. Dijo que no era necesario suturar, solo limpiar y poner una venda.
¿Qué hizo el veterinario con la herida del perro?
El pasaje indica que 'no era necesario suturar, solo limpiar y poner una venda'.
El pasaje indica que 'no era necesario suturar, solo limpiar y poner una venda'.
¿Por qué es importante suturar después de una operación?
Read this passage:
Después de la operación, el doctor usó hilo especial para suturar la piel. Es importante para que la herida cierre bien y no queden cicatrices grandes.
¿Por qué es importante suturar después de una operación?
El texto explica que suturar es importante 'para que la herida cierre bien y no queden cicatrices grandes'.
El texto explica que suturar es importante 'para que la herida cierre bien y no queden cicatrices grandes'.
This sentence means 'The doctor needs to stitch the wound.'
This sentence means 'She learned to stitch in class.'
This sentence means 'Please, can you stitch this quickly?'
Choose the best translation for 'suturar'.
While 'to sew' is a general term, in a medical context, 'suturar' specifically means to stitch or suture a wound.
Which of these would most likely need to be 'suturado'?
You suture wounds to close them. Broken bones are set, headaches are treated with medicine, and colds usually heal on their own.
El doctor necesita ____ la herida para que cicatrice bien.
To help a wound heal well, a doctor needs to stitch or suture it closed. 'Abrir' means to open, 'examinar' means to examine, and 'tocar' means to touch.
You would 'suturar' a shirt that has a tear.
While 'suturar' involves stitching, it's primarily used in a medical context for wounds. You would simply 'coser' (sew) a torn shirt.
After surgery, a doctor will often 'suturar' the incision.
Yes, 'suturar' is the correct term for stitching up an incision after surgery.
If you cut your finger lightly, you will definitely need to 'suturar' it.
No, a light cut might only need a bandage. 'Suturar' is for deeper wounds that need to be closed precisely.
Después del accidente, tuvieron que ___ la herida con varios puntos.
The context implies a medical procedure to close a wound, which is 'suturar'. While 'coser' can mean to sew, 'suturar' is more specific to medical stitching.
El cirujano usó hilo especial para ___ el tejido dañado.
In a surgical context, closing damaged tissue is specifically referred to as 'suturar'.
Es crucial ___ la incisión cuidadosamente para evitar infecciones.
To prevent infections after an incision, the primary action is to close it meticulously, which is 'suturar'.
El veterinario tuvo que ___ la pata del perro después de la operación.
For a post-operative procedure on an animal's leg, 'suturar' is the correct term for stitching the wound.
Antes de ___ la herida, el enfermero la limpió a fondo.
Cleaning a wound thoroughly is a prerequisite before stitching it, thus 'suturar' fits the context.
Los estudiantes de medicina practican cómo ___ con simuladores antes de operar en pacientes reales.
Medical students practice surgical skills like 'suturar' (stitching) on simulators.
This sentence describes a surgeon needing to stitch a wound quickly.
This sentence explains that after surgery, the incision was sutured with great precision.
This question asks if someone knows how to stitch a small cut in an emergency.
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Medical Context
You'll most often hear 'suturar' in a medical context, like a doctor or nurse talking about closing a wound.
Pronunciation Practice
Practice saying 'suturar' aloud. The 's' is like in 'sit', the 'u' like in 'flute', and the 'r' is a single-tap 'r'.
Conjugation
Remember it's a regular '-ar' verb. For example, 'yo suturo' (I suture), 'él suturó' (he sutured).
Related Noun
The noun form is 'la sutura' (the suture or the stitch). This is also very common.
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