Use constipado as a noun for the common cold, especially in Spain. It is close to resfriado and catarro, and it should not be translated automatically as English “constipation.”
Use constipado as a noun for the common cold, especially in Spain. It is close to resfriado and catarro, and it should not be translated automatically as English “constipation.”
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Tengo un costipado fuerte. | Tengo un constipado fuerte. |
| El bebé tiene una constipado. | El bebé tiene un constipado. |
| Cogí constipado. | Cogí un constipado. |
| Constipado always means constipation in English. | Constipado often means a cold in Spanish. |
Use constipado as an adjective for a person who has a cold. It agrees with gender and number: constipada, constipados, constipadas.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| María está constipado. | María está constipada. |
| Los niños están constipado. | Los niños están constipados. |
| Estoy un constipado. | Tengo un constipado. |
| Tengo constipada. | Estoy constipada. |
Use constipado for constipation only where that regional sense is current, such as Argentina, Panama, or Paraguay. In many contexts, estreñido is clearer and avoids confusion with the Spain sense “having a cold.”
| Incorrect | Correct |
| La niña está constipado. | La niña está constipada. |
| Los pacientes están constipado. | Los pacientes están constipados. |
| Tengo constipado intestinal. | Estoy constipado. |
| Constipado means cold everywhere. | Constipado can mean constipated in parts of Latin America. |
Use constipado with regional context. In Spain it usually points to a cold, while in parts of Latin America it may mean constipated. For maximum clarity, resfriado and estreñido avoid the false-friend trap.
Costipado drops the required n, and English constipated is not always the right translation of Spanish constipado.
From the past participle of Spanish constipar, from Latin constipare, “to press together or crowd,” from com- and stipare, “to pack.” The cold sense developed through the idea of blockage or congestion.
What does constipado mean in Spanish?
Constipado usually means a cold or having a cold in Spain, and in some Latin American varieties it can mean constipated.
Does constipado mean constipated?
Sometimes. In parts of Latin America, constipado can mean constipated, but in Spain it usually refers to a cold.
What is the difference between constipado and resfriado?
Constipado and resfriado can both mean a cold in Spain, but resfriado is safer across Spanish varieties.
Is costipado correct?
No. The standard spelling is constipado, with n.
How do I say constipated clearly in Spanish?
Estreñido is the clearest general word for constipated, especially when regional ambiguity matters.