Question 1

Why is deberías used here instead of debes?

Accepted Answer

Deberías is the conditional form of the verb deber (to must / to owe). While debes ir sounds like a strong obligation or command ("you must go"), using the conditional softens the tone to mean "you should go." It is the most common way to give polite, helpful advice in Spanish without sounding bossy.

Question 2

Why do we use Estás instead of Eres for "You are sick"?

Accepted Answer

We use estar because illness is a temporary physical condition or state, which is how we generally talk about health in Spanish. If you used ser and said eres enfermo, it would imply being a "sick" person as a permanent trait or characteristic (such as being chronically ill or mentally disturbed).

Question 3

Why is it al médico and not just a médico?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, you usually need the definite article el (the) when talking about going to see a professional, just like in English when you say "going to the doctor." The verb ir (to go) requires the preposition a (to) for destinations, and a combines with el to form the mandatory contraction al.

Question 4

Could I say al doctor instead of al médico?

Accepted Answer

Yes! In everyday Latin American Spanish, el doctor and el médico are both widely used and perfectly interchangeable when talking about a medical professional.

Estás enfermo. Deberías ir al médico.

Breakdown of Estás enfermo. Deberías ir al médico.

Questions & Answers about Estás enfermo. Deberías ir al médico.

Learn Estás enfermo. Deberías ir al médico and more in Spanish