Translated Materials

Note: This page contains references to some links which are only accessible by HHS staff. For more information, email the HHSC Office of Communications.

Under federal and state laws, HHS must provide meaningful access to programs, services and activities to people with limited English proficiency. All client and public materials, including webpages, should be written in plain language and translated into Spanish.

Do

Create client or public-facing materials in both English and Spanish.
Use two-sided "flip" materials that have English on one side and Spanish on the other when possible.
- Ensures updates to one language are made to both.
- Eliminates the possibility of running out of materials in one language.
Maintain the same layout and photos for English and Spanish, even if materials are separate.
Request translation of comments you add to a form or form letter for a Spanish-speaking reader.
Add Spanish subtitles to videos or recreate the video in Spanish when possible.
Ensure websites for clients (especially those linked in printed materials) also have a Spanish counterpart. Spanish URLs for the main HHS site begin with hhs.texas.gov/es.

Don't

Do not include Spanish side-by-side with English unless both languages can be given equal weight and treatment without confusing the reader.
- Limit side-by-side translations to single page items such as posters or monitor slides, which have a clear reading order.
Do not translate only part of the text or include phrases such as "Se habla Español" or "Hablamos Español."
Do not translate logos. Use existing Spanish logos if program logo use has already been approved by your agency's communications office.
Do not create separate materials for English and Spanish unless there is a programmatic reason or the length of the material does not lend itself to a two-sided "flip" structure.
Do not translate event materials unless an interpreter will be available at the event.
Do not use translations from online software or agency staff outside of HHS Translation Services.

HHS staff can learn more about HHS Translation Services on the HHS Connection.

HHS Spanish Key Terms
English	Spanish	Notes and Examples
abuse (noun) (of a child)	maltrato o abuso	When the type of abuse is unknown or unspecified, use maltrato o abuso as a generic couplet. If the abuse is known to be physical or psychological, but not sexual, maltrato is the appropriate term. Note that abuso carries a connotation of sexual abuse.
abuse or neglect (noun) (of a child)	maltrato abuso o negligencia	See abuse (noun). Maltrato and abuso are both needed to encompass the general meaning of abuse.
abused (an abused child)	víctima de maltrato o abuso	Since abusar is an intransitive verb, niño abusado is grammatically incorrect. A correct reformulation would be niño víctima de abuso. If the abuse is known to be physical or psychological in nature, but not sexual, niño maltratado is a correct expression. See abuse (noun).
abuser	agresor
affidavit	declaración jurada
Alzheimer's (disease)	el alzhéimer la enfermedad de Alzheimer el mal de Alzheimer	When it stands alone as the name of the illness, alzhéimer becomes a common noun in Spanish and, as such, is written in lowercase and subject to the rules of accentuation. When preceded by la enfermedad or el mal, Alzheimer is considered a proper noun of foreign origin and, as such, is uppercased and written with no accent mark.
application (to receive benefits, to participate in an event, etc.)	solicitud	Avoid aplicación in this context.
application form	solicitud	Avoid the unnecessarily wordy formulario de solicitud.
apply (apply for benefits)	solicitar presentar una solicitud	Avoid aplicar in this context.
Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs)	agencias regionales para adultos mayores (AAA)	In running text, use the feminine article before the initials: las AAA; la AAA del condado de Travis.
assist	ayudar atender	In general, avoid asistir in this context.
Austin State Hospital (ASH)	Hospital Estatal de Austin (ASH)	In running text, use the masculine article before the initials: el ASH.
best interest (in the child’s best interest)	interés superior (del menor)	Example wordings: que corresponde al interés superior del menor. que redunda en el interés superior del menor. que responde al interés superior del menor. teniendo en cuenta el interés superior del menor.
business days	días hábiles
cervical cancer	cáncer de cuello uterino
checkup	chequeo	For the regular medical and dental checkups provided as part of Texas Health Steps, chequeo is the preferred term over examen.
child abuse	maltrato o abuso infantil	See abuse (noun).
Child Protective Services (CPS)	Servicios de Protección al Menor (CPS)	In running text, no preceding article is used: las normas de Servicios de Protección al Menor, las normas de CPS.
child support	manutención infantil
children (minors)	menores niños y adolescentes niños	Children is sometimes equivalent to niños, but not always. Note that niño is technically defined as a child who has not yet reached puberty. A 16-year-old, therefore, is not a niño or niña. Legislation on child protection in Mexico, for example, refers consistently to niños and adolescentes together and specifically defines niño as a child under the age of 12.
children (sons and daughters)	hijos	In the context of a parent-child relationship, hijo is the appropriate term, not niño. Thus, when addressing parents about your children, the better choice is sus hijos, as opposed to sus niños.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)	Programa de Seguro Médico para Niños (CHIP)	In running text, no article is needed before the initials: miembros de CHIP.
client (of a program or service)	beneficiario usuario	In general, avoid cliente in this context. For example: Medicaid client: beneficiario de Medicaid. Is your child a CHIP client?: ¿Recibe su hijo beneficios de CHIP?
Compact with Texans	Compromiso con los texanos	Use italics or quotation marks to set off from surrounding text.
complete (a form)	llenar	Avoid completar in this context.
concern (noun)	preocupación, problema, duda asunto, tema	In general, avoid inquietud in the context of a problem or issue that someone might need to discuss or address with staff.
condition (medical)	afección padecimiento	Avoid condición in this context.
consent form	consentimiento	Avoid the unnecessarily wordy formulario de consentimiento.
date processed	fecha de tramitación
deadline	plazo fecha límite
defendant (in a civil case)	demandado parte demandada
defendant (in a criminal case)	acusado
denial (of benefits)	denegación
denial notice	aviso de denegación
Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)	Departamento de Servicios para la Familia y de Protección (DFPS)	In running text, use the masculine article before the initials: el DFPS.
Department of State Health Services (DSHS)	Departamento Estatal de Servicios de Salud (DSHS)	In running text, use the masculine article before the initials: el DSHS.
determination	determinación decisión dictamen conclusión
disenroll	dar de baja
district attorney's office	Fiscalía
doctor (as a synonym of "physician”)	médico	Use doctor or doctora in Spanish only as a title preceding someone's name: el doctor Morales, la doctora Sandoval.
drug abuse	abuso de drogas
drug test	prueba de detección de drogas
drug use	consumo de drogas	Avoid uso in this context.
durable power of attorney for health care	poder notarial permanente para asuntos médicos
Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)	Intervención Temprana en la Infancia (ECI)	In running text, no article is used before the initials: el personal de ECI.
elderly	adultos mayores
eligibility	See eligible.	Avoid elegibilidad, which has a much narrower meaning than eligibility. See eligible. Eligibility requirements: requisitos (de acceso, de participación). To find out if you are eligible: para saber si reúne los requisitos, para saber si puede acceder a … , para ver si tiene derecho a …
eligibility office	oficina de verificación de requisitos
eligible	que reúne los requisitos (para … ) que tiene derecho a … que puede acceder a … que puede recibir …	Avoid elegible in Spanish, which has a much narrower meaning than eligible in English. In most cases, there is no functional one-word equivalent for eligible in Spanish, and a contextually appropriate workaround must be found.
fair hearing	audiencia imparcial
family-based services	servicios para la familia
Federal Poverty Level	línea federal de pobreza línea de pobreza establecida por el Gobierno federal	The Federal Poverty Level is the income level designated by the federal government as the poverty line for a given family size.
form (which one fills out)	formulario	See application form and consent form.
foster care	acogida (de menores) sistema de acogida (de menores) situación de acogida régimen de acogida (de menores)	A child in foster care: un menor en situación de acogida. To place the child in foster care: remitir al menor al sistema de acogida.
foster child	menor en situación de acogida
foster home	hogar de acogida
foster parent	padre de acogida
group health plan	plan médico de grupo
group skills training	capacitación en grupo
guardian	tutor
guardianship	tutela
Health and Human Services (HHS)	Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHS)	In running text, no article is needed before the initials: los programas de HHS.
Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)	Comisión de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHSC)	In running text, use the feminine article before the initials: la HHSC.
health care	atención médica
health care services	servicios médicos servicios de salud
health plan	plan médico
Healthy Texas Women	Healthy Texas Women	The name of this program is not translated. If needed, it can be couched in explanatory wording to help provide context for monolingual readers: el programa Healthy Texas Women.
hearing loss	pérdida auditiva pérdida de audición pérdida de la capacidad auditiva
hearing-impaired	con problemas auditivos
high school	(escuela) preparatoria
hotline	línea (de ayuda) línea telefónica	Avoid línea directa in this context.
House Bill XYZ	ley XYZ de la Cámara de Diputados proyecto de ley XYZ de la Cámara de Diputados	The translation will depend on whether the term refers to a state law already in effect (ley) or a bill not yet passed (proyecto de ley).
immigration status	estatus migratorio
individual (noun)	persona beneficiario usuario interesado	Avoid individuo.
individuals with disabilities	personas con discapacidad
infant	bebé lactante	Avoid infante, which is a false cognate.
intermediate care	atención intermedia
juvenile (adjective)	de menores	Juvenil, as the Spanish adjective associated with joven, would also include young adults (see youth). Juvenile in English tends to be used in the context of the criminal justice system for underage offenders (under 18). Juvenile court, for example, would be tribunal de menores.
juvenile (noun or adjective)	menor de menores	Avoid juvenil. See juvenile (adjective).
Lone Star card	tarjeta Lone Star
long-term care facility	centro de atención a largo plazo
medical power of attorney	poder notarial para asuntos médicos
medical record	expediente médico historia clínica
middle name	segundo nombre
notice (noun)	aviso notificación
nursing home	casa de reposo
Office of Acquired Brain Injury	Oficina para Personas con Lesión Cerebral Adquirida
Office of the Attorney General	Procuraduría General	Avoid the unnecessarily wordy Oficina del Procurador General.
Office of the General Comptroller	Contraloría General	Avoid the unnecessarily wordy Oficina del Contralor General.
parental rights	patria potestad
Parkinson's (disease)	la enfermedad de Parkinson el mal de Parkinson el párkinson	See Alzheimer's regarding capitalization and accentuation; the same rationale applies here.
place (verb) (to place a child in a foster home)	asignar	Avoid colocar in this context.
placement (by CPS, of a child in foster care)	asignación	Avoid colocación in this context.
prepaid envelope	sobre con el porte pagado	Avoid sobre prepagado.
primary care	atención primaria
process (verb) (process a claim, a request, an application)	tramitar atender dar trámite a	Avoid procesar in this context.
proof of income	comprobante de ingresos
prosecute (pursue a criminal case against)	procesar (por la vía penal) someter a juicio someter a un proceso penal
prosecution (the act of prosecuting a crime)	proceso penal procesamiento (de un delito, del acusado)
prosecution (the plaintiff in a criminal case)	fiscalía
qualify (intransitive) (for benefits, for a program, etc.)	reunir los requisitos (para … ) poder acceder a … tener derecho a …	Avoid calificar in this context. See eligible and eligibility, as these concepts overlap to a large degree.
qualifying (as an adjective preceding a noun)	que reúne los requisitos (para … ) que reúne determinados requisitos que reúne ciertas condiciones	See qualify. A qualifying disability: una discapacidad que reúne ciertas condiciones, que reúne los criterios de acceso, etc.
refer (verb) (for services, for health care, etc.)	remitir enviar recomendar derivar
referral (medical, for services)	remisión recomendación derivación
release form	autorización de divulgación descargo de responsabilidad
respite care	servicio de respiro
retirement	jubilación
Senate Bill XYZ	la ley XYZ del Senado el proyecto de ley XYZ del Senado	The translation will depend on whether the term refers to a state law already in effect (ley) or a bill not yet passed (proyecto de ley).
sign language	lengua de señas	Avoid lenguaje de señas. Though widely used in this context, lenguaje is an inaccurate term that fails to recognize sign language as a full-fledged language (idioma, lengua) in its own right, rather than simply a form of speech (lenguaje).
SNAP food benefits	beneficios (de alimentos) de SNAP	Avoid beneficios de comida.
status	estado estatus condición calidad situación
substance abuse	abuso de sustancias abuso de drogas o alcohol
substance use	consumo de sustancias consumo de drogas o alcohol	Avoid uso in this context.
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)	síndrome de muerte súbita del lactante (SMSL)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)	Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario (SSI)	This is the official Spanish term used by the federal government.
supporting documentation	comprobantes
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)	Asistencia Temporal para Familias Necesitadas (TANF)	This is the official Spanish term used by the federal government. In running text, no article is used before the abbreviation: beneficiarios de TANF.
termination of parental rights	privación de la patria potestad	Avoid terminación in this context.
Texans	texanos las personas (que viven) en Texas quienes viven en Texas	Avoid the spelling tejanos.
Texas	Texas el estado de Texas	Avoid the spelling Tejas.
Texas Health Steps	Pasos Sanos de Texas
Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)	Comisión de la Fuerza Laboral de Texas (TWC)	This is the official Spanish name used by TWC.
training	capacitación	In general, avoid entrenamiento unless referring to athletic training or the training of animals.
traumatic brain injury	traumatismo cerebral lesión cerebral por traumatismo
utilities	servicios públicos	Note that utilidades is a false cognate.
WIC	WIC el programa WIC	No article is needed before the initials: las clases de WIC. The long-form name (Women, Infants and Children) is rarely used in English and, in general, is not necessary in Spanish.
youth	menores (de edad) adolescentes jóvenes	Guard against the automatic translation of youth as jóvenes or juventud. The word jóvenes would include young adults in addition to teenagers. Consider the context carefully to arrive at an appropriate translation.
zika	el zika el virus del Zika la enfermedad del Zika	When it stands alone as the name of the illness, zika becomes a common noun in Spanish and, as such, is lowercased. When preceded by el virus or la enfermedad Zika, remains a proper noun and, as such, is uppercased.

Do

Don't

HHS Spanish Key Terms