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"Pacientes" is a form of "paciente", an adjective which is often translated as "patient". "Preocuparse" is a reflexive verb which is often translated as "to worry". Learn more about the difference between "preocuparse" and "pacientes" below.
preocuparse(
preh
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oh
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koo
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pahr
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seh
)A reflexive verb is a verb that indicates that the subject performs an action on itself (e.g., Miguel se lava.).
a. to worry
Mi papá se preocupa de todos menos de él mismo.My dad worries about everyone else except himself.
A pronominal verb always uses a reflexive pronoun. (e.g., Te ves cansado.).
2. (to ensure)
a. to make sure
Preocúpate de llegar a tiempo y yo me preocupo de traer a la cumpleañera.You make sure to get there on time and I'll make sure to bring the birthday girl.
preocupar
A transitive verb is a verb that requires a direct object (e.g., I bought a book.).
a. to worry
Me preocupa que no haya tenido noticias de tu hermano en una semana.I'm worried that I haven't heard from your brother in a week.
b. to be concerned
Nos preocupan los animales que vimos en la calle.We're concerned about the stray animals we saw on the street.
a. to bother
Parece que no le preocupa ganar dinero.He doesn't seem bothered about earning any money.
paciente(
pah
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syehn
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teh
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (tolerant)
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
a. patient
En este momento, el hospital está tratando a doscientos pacientes.Right now, the hospital is treating two hundred patients.
