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B1 verb 10 min de lecture

suturar

Exemples suturar en 30 secondes
Explication suturar in your Level:
At the A1 level, you don't need to use the word 'suturar' yet, but it's good to know it relates to doctors. Think of it as a special word for 'coser' (to sew) that doctors use. In A1, you would usually say 'El médico cierra la herida' (The doctor closes the wound) or 'El médico pone puntos' (The doctor puts in stitches). 'Suturar' is a more professional version of these ideas. You might see it on a sign in a hospital or in a simple story about a doctor. It follows the regular -ar pattern: yo suturo, tú suturas, él sutura. Even at this level, recognizing the word helps you understand that something medical is happening. Just remember: coser is for shirts, and suturar is for skin! If you accidentally say 'suturar' for a shirt, people will laugh because it sounds like you are performing surgery on your laundry. Keep it simple and focus on the connection to medicine.
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At the A2 level, you are beginning to expand your vocabulary to include more specific terms. You might use 'suturar' when describing a past event, like an accident. 'El doctor suturó mi brazo' (The doctor stitched my arm). You should be able to recognize it in the past tense (suturó, suturaron) and the future (suturará). This word is useful when talking about health and body parts, which is a common A2 topic. You also start to see the difference between formal and informal Spanish. While 'poner puntos' is what you say to friends, 'suturar' is what you read in a medical brochure or hear in a serious movie. It's a regular verb, so you can easily conjugate it in the preterite: 'Yo suturé', 'Tú suturaste', 'Él suturó'. Practice using it with body parts: 'suturar la mano', 'suturar la pierna'. This will make your descriptions of accidents or health issues sound more accurate and less like a beginner.
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At the B1 level, 'suturar' becomes a very useful word. You are expected to handle more complex situations, such as explaining a medical procedure or discussing health in more detail. You should use 'suturar' instead of 'coser' when the context is medical to show your intermediate level. You can use it in various tenses, including the present perfect: 'El cirujano ha suturado la incisión con éxito' (The surgeon has successfully sutured the incision). You should also be comfortable with the noun 'la sutura' (the suture/stitch). At this stage, you might also use it in the passive voice, which is common in formal Spanish: 'La herida fue suturada por el especialista'. This demonstrates your ability to use more complex sentence structures. You are also learning to distinguish between similar-sounding words like 'saturar' (to saturate) and 'suturar', ensuring you don't tell a doctor that the market is 'stitched' or a wound is 'saturated' with people!
At the B2 level, you should use 'suturar' with complete confidence in professional or academic contexts. You can discuss the nuances of the action, such as the materials used ('suturar con hilo biodegradable') or the specific technique ('suturar por capas'). You might also encounter the word in more abstract contexts, such as 'suturar una brecha social' (to bridge/suture a social gap), though this is more common at higher levels. Your grammar should be precise: using the subjunctive when necessary, such as 'Es importante que el médico suture la herida con cuidado' (It is important that the doctor sutures the wound carefully). You should also be able to understand medical reports or news articles that use this word without hesitation. At B2, your vocabulary should be specific enough that you never use 'coser' for a medical context unless you are being intentionally informal or humorous. You understand that 'suturar' carries a connotation of professional skill and clinical necessity.
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At the C1 level, you explore the metaphorical and highly technical uses of 'suturar'. You can use the word to describe complex social, political, or psychological processes. For example, 'El tratado busca suturar las profundas divisiones dejadas por la guerra' (The treaty seeks to suture the deep divisions left by the war). This shows a sophisticated command of the language, moving beyond the literal medical meaning. In technical writing, you might discuss 'técnicas de sutura avanzada' or 'materiales de sutura de última generación'. You are also aware of the historical etymology of the word and how it relates to other terms in the medical field. Your use of the word is seamless, and you can switch between the literal and figurative meanings depending on the audience. You might also use related terms like 'sutura craneal' (cranial suture) in a scientific discussion about anatomy, showing that you know the word also functions as a specific anatomical noun.
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At the C2 level, 'suturar' is a tool for precise and evocative expression. You can use it in literary analysis to describe how an author 'sutures' different narrative threads together, or in philosophical debates about the 'suturing' of the subject in psychoanalytic theory (a common term in Lacanian thought). Your mastery is such that you can play with the word's technical origins to create powerful imagery. You understand every nuance, from the sterile atmosphere of an operating room it evokes to the delicate, painstaking labor of repair it suggests. Whether you are writing a medical dissertation, a political manifesto, or a piece of literary fiction, you use 'suturar' and its derivatives with absolute precision and stylistic flair. You are also fully aware of the word's place in the history of medicine and its Latin roots, and you can discuss its usage across different Spanish-speaking regions and historical periods without any difficulty.
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Exemples

suturar en 30 secondes

  • Suturar is a formal medical verb meaning to stitch a wound or incision, used primarily by healthcare professionals and in technical medical contexts.
  • It is a regular -ar verb in Spanish, making its conjugation predictable across all tenses, though it is most commonly used in the preterite.
  • The word distinguishes itself from 'coser' (to sew), which is used for general sewing of fabrics, whereas 'suturar' is reserved for biological tissues.
  • Metaphorically, it can describe the healing of social or emotional divisions, suggesting a careful and manual process of repair and reconciliation.

The Spanish verb suturar is a technical and precise term primarily used in medical and veterinary contexts. While the English language often uses the general word "to stitch" for both sewing a shirt and closing a wound, Spanish makes a clearer distinction. To suturar specifically means to join the edges of a wound or an incision using a needle and thread (sutures) to promote healing. It is a B1-level word because, while technical, it is common knowledge for anyone who has visited a hospital or watched a medical drama. In everyday conversation, a person might say "me dieron puntos" (they gave me stitches), but a professional or a formal report will always use suturar.

Medical Precision
This verb describes the surgical act of approximation. It implies a level of professional skill and sterile conditions. You wouldn't use this for fixing a hole in your socks; for that, you use coser.
Metaphorical Closure
In literature or high-level journalism, suturar can be used metaphorically to describe the healing of social divisions or the closing of a symbolic 'wound' in history or a relationship.
The Material Aspect
The action involves the use of hilo de sutura (suture thread). The verb focuses on the movement of the needle through the tissue to ensure the edges stay together.

Es necesario suturar la incisión inmediatamente para evitar una hemorragia mayor.

Example of clinical usage regarding emergency procedures.

Understanding suturar requires recognizing its register. If you are in a pharmacy asking for bandages, you might not use it, but if you are describing a surgery you had, using suturar shows a higher command of Spanish vocabulary. It belongs to a family of words including sutura (the noun, meaning both the stitch and the material) and suturado (the participle, meaning stitched). In modern medicine, it competes with grapar (to staple), but suturar remains the standard for delicate or internal procedures.

El veterinario tuvo que suturar la pata del perro tras el accidente.

The verb follows the regular -ar conjugation pattern, making it easy to use once you learn the stem. However, its importance lies in its specificity. In a world where general verbs like hacer or poner are overused, using suturar elevates your speech from basic to intermediate-advanced. It conveys that you understand the difference between domestic chores and medical procedures.

Después de limpiar la zona, el cirujano empezó a suturar capa por capa.

Action vs. Result
The act is suturar; the result is usually called los puntos (the stitches) in common parlance, though la sutura is the technical term.

Using suturar correctly involves understanding its role as a transitive verb. It almost always requires a direct object—the thing being stitched. This is usually la herida (the wound), la piel (the skin), or la incisión (the incision). Because it is a regular -ar verb, you can apply standard conjugation rules without worrying about radical changes or irregular endings. This makes it a very 'safe' word for B1 learners to use in medical contexts.

The Direct Object
Always identify what is being stitched. Example: "El médico suturó el corte profundo." (The doctor stitched the deep cut.)
Using the Passive Voice
In clinical reports, the passive voice is common. Example: "La herida fue suturada con seda dental." (The wound was sutured with silk thread.)
Gerunds and Progressivity
To describe the ongoing action: "El cirujano está suturando ahora mismo." (The surgeon is suturing right now.)

¿Cuántos puntos le tuvieron que suturar al paciente?

Note: While 'suturar puntos' is slightly redundant, it is heard in colloquial medical talk.

When talking about the past, the preterite is most common because suturing is usually a completed action with a clear beginning and end. "El doctor suturó la herida y luego aplicó un vendaje." If you are describing a scene in a story, you might use the imperfect: "Mientras el médico suturaba, la enfermera revisaba los signos vitales." (While the doctor was suturing, the nurse was checking the vital signs.) This contrast between the action in progress and the background state is key for B1 learners.

Si no suturamos bien, la cicatriz será muy visible.

Finally, consider the instruments used. You often use the preposition con (with). "Suturar con hilo absorbible" (To suture with absorbable thread). This adds detail to your sentences and demonstrates a technical grasp of the language. In professional exams like DELE, using specific verbs like suturar instead of general ones like cerrar will significantly boost your score in the vocabulary range section.

The most common place to hear suturar is, unsurprisingly, in a hospital environment (el entorno hospitalario). However, its reach extends beyond the operating room. You will encounter it in news broadcasts when reporting on accidents or violent incidents. Journalists use it to provide a factual, objective tone to their reporting. For example, "El herido fue trasladado al hospital donde procedieron a suturar sus heridas." This formal usage helps maintain a professional distance from the event.

Television and Cinema
Medical dramas are a goldmine for this word. Shows like 'Hospital Central' (Spain) or 'Sala de Urgencias' (Colombia) use it constantly during surgery scenes to heighten the realism.
Veterinary Clinics
If you take a pet for surgery, the vet will explain the process using suturar to describe how they will close the internal and external layers of the animal's skin.
Literature
In realistic or gritty novels, authors use suturar to describe characters tending to their wounds in survival situations, emphasizing the pain and the necessity of the act.

En el parte médico se indica que fue necesario suturar el tendón dañado.

You might also hear it in educational settings. In a biology or medicine class, the professor will lecture on the different techniques of suturar (e.g., continuous vs. interrupted). It is a foundational word for anyone studying health sciences in Spanish. Even in first-aid courses (cursos de primeros auxilios), the instructor might mention that certain deep wounds are beyond basic care and require a professional to suturar them.

El cirujano plástico es experto en suturar de forma que no quede marca.

Interestingly, you might hear it in a metaphorical sense in political discourse. A politician might speak about the need to suturar las heridas de la nación (suture the wounds of the nation) after a divisive election or a conflict. Here, the word carries a heavy, serious weight, suggesting that the healing process will be delicate, manual, and require great care to ensure the 'body politic' remains whole.

The most frequent mistake learners make with suturar is using it in the wrong context. Because the English word "stitch" is so versatile, English speakers often want to use suturar for everything related to needles and thread. However, in Spanish, the distinction is rigid. You coser a button, but you suturar a laceration. Using suturar to talk about clothing will sound bizarre and overly clinical to a native speaker.

Suturar vs. Coser
Mistake: "Tengo que suturar mi pantalón." (I have to suture my pants.)
Correct: "Tengo que coser mi pantalón." (I have to sew my pants.)
Confusing with 'Saturar'
Because they sound similar, learners often mix up suturar (to stitch) with saturar (to saturate/overload). Example: "El mercado está suturado" is wrong; it should be "saturado".
Preposition Errors
Sometimes learners try to use 'en' or 'a' incorrectly. Remember: You suturar una herida (direct object), not 'a una herida'.

Incorrecto: El doctor cosió la herida en el quirófano.

While 'coser' is used colloquially for wounds, in a 'quirófano' (OR), 'suturar' is the expected term.

Another common pitfall is the conjugation of the passive voice. Since suturar is often used in the passive (e.g., "the wound was stitched"), learners forget that the past participle suturado must agree in gender and number with the subject. "Las heridas fueron suturadas" (feminine plural) vs. "El corte fue suturado" (masculine singular). This is a basic rule, but under the pressure of using a technical word, it is easy to forget.

¿Suturaste la herida? (Correct) vs ¿Saturaste la herida? (Incorrect, unless you soaked it in something!)

Finally, avoid over-using the word. In a casual conversation with a friend about a small cut, saying "Tuve que ir al médico para que me suturaran" might sound a bit dramatic or clinical. Most people would just say "Me pusieron puntos" (They gave me stitches). Use suturar when you want to sound precise, professional, or when writing formally.

To truly master suturar, you need to know how it stacks up against its synonyms and related terms. Spanish has a rich vocabulary for 'closing' things, and choosing the right one depends on the context and the level of formality you wish to convey.

Coser vs. Suturar
Coser is the general term for sewing. It is used for clothes, crafts, and informally for wounds. Suturar is strictly medical/surgical.
Example: "Mi abuela cose muy bien" vs. "El cirujano suturó la arteria."
Grapar
Grapar means to staple. In modern surgery, staples are often used instead of thread. If a doctor uses staples, they are grapando, not suturando.
Cerrar
Cerrar (to close) is the most generic term. "Cerrar la herida" could involve stitches, staples, or even medical glue (pegamento quirúrgico).

A diferencia de coser, suturar implica una técnica estéril y específica para tejidos vivos.

In some contexts, you might hear remendar (to patch/mend), but this is almost exclusively for old clothes or metaphorical 'mending' of situations. You would never remendar a person. Another technical term is ligar (to tie/ligate), which is used specifically for tying off blood vessels during surgery—a step that often precedes suturar.

El médico decidió grapar la herida en lugar de suturarla para ahorrar tiempo en emergencias.

Understanding these nuances allows you to describe scenarios with high fidelity. For example, in a medical report, you might see: "Se procedió a la limpieza, desbridamiento y posterior sutura de la zona afectada." Here, sutura is the noun form, but it reinforces the action of suturar. By knowing these alternatives, you avoid the repetitive use of simple verbs and show a nuanced understanding of Spanish vocabulary.

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Exemples par niveau

1

El doctor tiene que suturar el corte.

The doctor has to stitch the cut.

Present tense of a regular -ar verb.

2

Yo no sé suturar.

I don't know how to suture.

Infinitive after 'saber'.

3

¿Puede usted suturar la herida?

Can you stitch the wound?

Formal 'usted' with modal verb 'poder'.

4

El enfermero sutura con cuidado.

The nurse sutures with care.

Third person singular present.

5

Necesitamos suturar ahora.

We need to suture now.

First person plural present.

6

Ella sutura muy bien.

She sutures very well.

Adverb 'bien' modifying the verb.

7

Ellos van a suturar la pata del gato.

They are going to suture the cat's paw.

Future with 'ir a' + infinitive.

8

No es fácil suturar.

It is not easy to suture.

Infinitive as a subject.

1

Ayer el médico suturó mi herida.

Yesterday the doctor stitched my wound.

Preterite tense for a completed action.

2

Los cirujanos suturaron al paciente rápidamente.

The surgeons sutured the patient quickly.

Preterite third person plural.

3

¿Te suturaron en el hospital?

Did they stitch you up at the hospital?

Preterite with direct object pronoun 'te'.

4

El veterinario suturará la herida mañana.

The vet will suture the wound tomorrow.

Future tense.

5

Estábamos suturando cuando se fue la luz.

We were suturing when the power went out.

Past progressive with 'estar' in imperfect.

6

He suturado muchas heridas este mes.

I have sutured many wounds this month.

Present perfect tense.

7

Ella siempre sutura con hilo azul.

She always sutures with blue thread.

Present tense expressing a habit.

8

Si no suturas bien, quedará una marca.

If you don't suture well, a mark will remain.

First conditional sentence.

1

Es necesario que el cirujano suture la arteria con precisión.

It is necessary for the surgeon to suture the artery with precision.

Present subjunctive after impersonal expression.

2

Aunque el corte era pequeño, tuvieron que suturarlo.

Although the cut was small, they had to suture it.

Infinitive with attached pronoun 'lo'.

3

Si yo fuera médico, sabría cómo suturar correctamente.

If I were a doctor, I would know how to suture correctly.

Second conditional with imperfect subjunctive.

4

La enfermera está preparando el material para suturar.

The nurse is preparing the material to suture.

Infinitive used as a purpose.

5

Me dolió mucho cuando me estaban suturando.

It hurt a lot when they were suturing me.

Past progressive in the background of a past event.

6

El médico ha decidido suturar la piel en lugar de usar grapas.

The doctor has decided to suture the skin instead of using staples.

Present perfect with 'decidir' + infinitive.

7

No creo que sea difícil suturar esta parte.

I don't think it's difficult to suture this part.

Subjunctive after 'no creo que'.

8

Después de suturar, el médico aplicó un antiséptico.

After suturing, the doctor applied an antiseptic.

Preposition 'después de' + infinitive.

1

Se recomienda suturar la herida por capas para asegurar una mejor cicatrización.

It is recommended to suture the wound in layers to ensure better healing.

Impersonal 'se' with present tense.

2

Una vez suturada la incisión, el paciente fue trasladado a recuperación.

Once the incision was sutured, the patient was moved to recovery.

Absolute construction with past participle.

3

El cirujano plástico se especializa en suturar sin dejar rastro visible.

The plastic surgeon specializes in suturing without leaving a visible trace.

Reflexive verb 'especializarse en' + infinitive.

4

Dudo que el residente pueda suturar esa herida tan compleja solo.

I doubt the resident can suture that complex wound alone.

Present subjunctive after 'dudar que'.

5

Habría sido mejor suturar la herida antes de que se infectara.

It would have been better to suture the wound before it got infected.

Conditional perfect with 'antes de que' + imperfect subjunctive.

6

Suturar en condiciones de emergencia requiere nervios de acero.

Suturing in emergency conditions requires nerves of steel.

Infinitive as a noun/subject.

7

El hilo que usamos para suturar es de seda natural.

The thread we use to suture is made of natural silk.

Relative clause with 'que'.

8

Para cuando llegó el cirujano, la enfermera ya había empezado a suturar.

By the time the surgeon arrived, the nurse had already begun to suture.

Past perfect (pluscuamperfecto).

1

El diplomático intentó suturar las relaciones bilaterales tras el incidente fronterizo.

The diplomat tried to suture bilateral relations after the border incident.

Metaphorical use of the verb.

2

Es imperativo que se proceda a suturar el desgarro interno de inmediato.

It is imperative that the internal tear be sutured immediately.

Subjunctive in a formal clinical directive.

3

La técnica consiste en suturar los bordes de la mucosa con puntos sueltos.

The technique consists of suturing the edges of the mucosa with separate stitches.

Technical terminology (mucosa, puntos sueltos).

4

A pesar de su experiencia, le resultaba difícil suturar bajo tanta presión mediática.

Despite his experience, he found it difficult to suture under so much media pressure.

Imperfect tense with 'resultar' + adjective.

5

No basta con suturar la piel; hay que reparar los tejidos subyacentes.

It is not enough to suture the skin; the underlying tissues must be repaired.

Infinitive after 'no basta con'.

6

El autor utiliza la metáfora de suturar para describir la reconciliación familiar.

The author uses the metaphor of suturing to describe family reconciliation.

Literary analysis context.

7

Si hubieran suturado la herida a tiempo, no habría habido complicaciones.

If they had sutured the wound in time, there would not have been complications.

Third conditional with pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo.

8

La habilidad para suturar vasos sanguíneos tan finos es asombrosa.

The ability to suture such fine blood vessels is amazing.

Noun phrase followed by infinitive.

1

La labor del historiador es suturar los fragmentos dispersos de la memoria colectiva.

The historian's task is to suture the scattered fragments of collective memory.

Highly abstract and elevated metaphorical use.

2

El cirujano demostró una destreza inaudita al suturar el miocardio en pleno movimiento.

The surgeon demonstrated unprecedented skill by suturing the myocardium in mid-motion.

Gerund phrase 'en pleno movimiento'.

3

Se debate si es ético suturar una herida autoinfligida sin el consentimiento del paciente.

It is debated whether it is ethical to suture a self-inflicted wound without the patient's consent.

Passive reflexive 'se debate' with ethical terminology.

4

La novela explora la imposibilidad de suturar el vacío dejado por la pérdida.

The novel explores the impossibility of suturing the void left by loss.

Abstract noun 'el vacío' as direct object.

5

Cualquier intento de suturar la brecha ideológica parece condenado al fracaso.

Any attempt to suture the ideological gap seems doomed to failure.

Complex subject phrase with 'parecer' + participle.

6

La sutileza con la que el poeta logra suturar el dolor y la esperanza es conmovedora.

The subtlety with which the poet manages to suture pain and hope is moving.

Relative clause with 'con la que'.

7

Resulta fascinante observar cómo la naturaleza intenta suturar sus propias heridas tras un incendio.

It is fascinating to observe how nature tries to suture its own wounds after a fire.

Personification of nature using the verb.

8

El protocolo exige suturar con material no absorbible en este tipo de intervenciones.

The protocol requires suturing with non-absorbable material in this type of intervention.

Formal requirement with 'exigir' + infinitive.

Collocations courantes

suturar una herida
suturar una incisión
suturar por capas
hilo para suturar
suturar con seda
suturar sin anestesia
suturar la piel
suturar un desgarro
aprender a suturar
suturar con cuidado

Phrases Courantes

proceder a suturar

— To begin the process of stitching. Used in formal medical reports.

El doctor procedió a suturar tras limpiar la zona.

suturar la brecha

— To bridge the gap. Often used metaphorically in politics or social issues.

Es hora de suturar la brecha entre los dos partidos.

suturar de urgencia

— To stitch as an emergency measure.

Lo tuvieron que suturar de urgencia en la ambulancia.

técnica de suturar

— The specific method used to stitch.

Su técnica de suturar es impecable.

suturar con puntos sueltos

— To stitch using individual, separate stitches.

Prefiero suturar con puntos sueltos para mayor seguridad.

suturar con sutura continua

— To stitch using one long, continuous thread.

Suturar con sutura continua es más rápido.

suturar bajo supervisión

— To stitch while being watched by a senior professional.

El residente debe suturar bajo supervisión.

suturar una arteria

— To stitch a blood vessel. A high-stakes medical action.

Suturar una arteria requiere mucha precisión.

suturar la herida del alma

— To heal the wounds of the soul. A poetic or romantic expression.

El tiempo ayudará a suturar la herida del alma.

suturar con grapas

— To 'suture' with staples (though technically 'grapar', this phrase is sometimes used loosely).

En emergencias, a veces es mejor suturar con grapas.

Expressions idiomatiques

"suturar una herida abierta"

— To resolve a conflict that is still causing pain or trouble.

Pedir perdón es el primer paso para suturar una herida abierta.

figurative
"suturar el pasado"

— To make peace with past events and move on.

Necesita suturar el pasado para poder ser feliz.

literary
"ni con mil suturas"

— Used to say that something is so broken it cannot be fixed.

Esa relación no se arregla ni con mil suturas.

informal/exaggerated
"suturar a ciegas"

— To try to fix something without having all the information or visibility.

Intentar arreglar la economía así es como suturar a ciegas.

figurative
"suturar con hilo de oro"

— To fix something in a very expensive or high-quality but perhaps unnecessary way.

No hace falta suturar con hilo de oro una tontería así.

informal
"suturar la boca"

— To force someone to stop talking (very aggressive/violent imagery).

Le suturaron la boca para que no contara el secreto.

slang/violent
"suturar el destino"

— To fi

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