lesión
nounCEFR B1
What does “lesión” mean in English?
injury — internal damage to musculoskeletal tissue; contrast: herida
injury — internal damage to musculoskeletal tissue; contrast: herida (surface wound)
Example sentences
Se lesionó el tobillo durante el partido y tuvo que salir del campo en camilla; el médico del equipo dijo que sería necesario hacerle una resonancia magnética para determinar el alcance de la lesión.
He injured his ankle during the match and had to leave the pitch on a stretcher; the team doctor said it would be necessary to give him an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.
El fisioterapeuta le explicó que la lesión muscular tardaría entre cuatro y seis semanas en sanar completamente y que volver antes al entrenamiento podría empeorar el daño.
The physiotherapist explained that the muscle injury would take between four and six weeks to heal completely and that returning to training sooner could worsen the damage.
How to use it
La lesión means an injury — specifically one affecting internal structures such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, or bones. The verb lesionarse (reflexive) means to injure oneself: me lesioné el hombro. Contrast with herida (external wound with broken skin) and golpe (impact/bruise without serious tissue damage). La lesión is preferred in sports and medical contexts. Common collocations: sufrir una lesión, tener una lesión, lesión muscular, lesión de rodilla.
Common mistake
Lesión is a false cognate trap — it means injury, not lesson (that is lección). Lesionarse is the reflexive verb; do not use *lesionar* without pronoun in a self-injury context. La herida is for surface wounds with broken skin; la lesión is for deeper structural damage.