In this final lesson of the Health unit, you'll learn to talk about healthy habits and give health advice. You'll combine everything from this unit — body parts, symptoms, pharmacy and doctor vocabulary, emotions — and learn to express what people should do to stay healthy using 'tener que,' 'deber,' and 'necesitar.'
Learning tips
- 'Es importante + infinitive' and 'es necesario + infinitive' are great impersonal structures for giving general advice.
- Notice the difference: 'tengo que' (I have to — personal), 'es necesario' (it's necessary — general).
- The word 'saludable' (healthy, for things/habits) is different from 'sano' (healthy, for people).
- Try combining multiple advice structures in one sentence for natural-sounding Spanish.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| contento | happy |
| triste | sad |
| preocupado | worried |
| nervioso | nervous |
| tranquilo | calm |
| emocionado | excited |
| aburrido | bored |
| sorprendido | surprised |
| porque | because |
| cuando | when |
Dialog
Valentina and Andrés share tips for staying healthy. Notice how they use multiple structures for advice: 'es importante + infinitive' (it's important to...), 'debemos + infinitive' (we should...), 'es necesario + infinitive' (it's necessary to...). They discuss exercise, sleep, diet, and hydration — all common health conversation topics.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| saludable | /sa.lu.ˈða.βle/ | healthy (for things/habits) | Use for food, habits: 'comida saludable' (healthy food) |
| la salud | /sa.ˈluð/ | health | The noun — 'la salud es importante' |
| hacer ejercicio | /a.ˈseɾ e.xeɾ.ˈsi.sjo/ | to exercise | Literally 'to do exercise' |
| dormir bien | /doɾ.ˈmiɾ ˈbjen/ | to sleep well | A key healthy habit |
| comer sano | /ko.ˈmeɾ ˈsa.no/ | to eat healthy | 'Sano' here means 'healthy' as an adverb |
| beber agua | /be.ˈβeɾ ˈa.ɣwa/ | to drink water | Most basic health advice |
| el hábito | /ˈa.βi.to/ | the habit | Note: silent 'h' — pronounced 'AH-bi-to' |
| importante | /im.poɾ.ˈtan.te/ | important | Same form for masculine and feminine |
| necesario | /ne.se.ˈsa.ɾjo/ | necessary | Changes for gender: necesario/necesaria |
| deber | /de.ˈβeɾ/ | should, must, to owe | 'Deber + infinitive' = should/must |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la dieta | /ˈdje.ta/ | the diet | |
| el gimnasio | /xim.ˈna.sjo/ | the gym | |
| meditar | /me.ði.ˈtaɾ/ | to meditate | |
| relajarse | /re.la.ˈxaɾ.se/ | to relax | |
| el estrés | /es.ˈtɾes/ | the stress | |
| equilibrado | /e.ki.li.ˈβɾa.ðo/ | balanced |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| es importante | it's important |
| es necesario | it's necessary |
Grammar: Review of obligation and advice — 'tener que', 'deber', 'necesitar' + infinitive
| Structure | Example | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| tener que + infinitive | Tengo que hacer ejercicio. | Strong obligation |
| deber + infinitive | Debes dormir bien. | Recommendation/advice |
| necesitar + infinitive | Necesito beber agua. | Personal need |
| es importante + infinitive | Es importante comer sano. | General importance |
| es necesario + infinitive | Es necesario descansar. | General necessity |
In this lesson, you review and expand on three structures for expressing obligation, advice, and necessity:
1. Tener que + infinitive (strong obligation — personal):
- Tengo que hacer ejercicio. (I have to exercise.)
- Tienes que dormir bien. (You have to sleep well.)
2. Deber + infinitive (advice/recommendation — personal):
- Debes beber agua. (You should drink water.)
- Debemos comer sano. (We should eat healthy.)
3. Es importante / Es necesario + infinitive (general statements):
- Es importante hacer ejercicio. (It's important to exercise.)
- Es necesario descansar. (It's necessary to rest.)
The personal structures (tener que, deber) change with the subject. The impersonal ones (es importante, es necesario) stay the same — they're great for giving general health advice without pointing fingers!
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing word.
- Es hacer ejercicio todos los días. (important)(adjective meaning 'of great significance')
- Un hábito es beber agua. (healthy)(adjective meaning 'good for health')
- Debemos dormir para tener buena . (well / health)(adverb meaning 'in a good way' / noun for 'well-being')
- Es comer sano y hacer ejercicio. (necessary)(adjective meaning 'required')
- Yo descansar más. (should)(first person of 'deber')
Grammar Application
Form complete sentences using the given structure and elements.
- yo / tener que / hacer ejercicio → (tengo que + infinitive)
- tú / deber / dormir bien → (debes + infinitive)
- nosotros / necesitar / comer sano → (necesitamos + infinitive)
- general / es importante / beber agua → (es importante + infinitive)
- ellos / deber / descansar más → (deben + infinitive)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- It's important to exercise.
- We should sleep well and eat healthy.
- Drinking water is a healthy habit.
- It's necessary to take care of your health.
- I have to exercise every day.
Creative Construction
Write a healthy lifestyle guide using at least 3 different advice structures (tener que, deber, es importante, es necesario). Include exercise, diet, sleep, and water.
Takeaway
For health advice, use three levels: 'tener que' (must — strong), 'deber' (should — advice), and 'es importante/necesario' (it's important/necessary — general). Key habits: hacer ejercicio, dormir bien, comer sano, beber agua.