Saying 'Yo duelo'

In Spanish, you don't 'have' a pain; something 'gives' pain to you. Think of 'Me duele la cabeza' as 'The head gives pain to me'. The thing causing pain is the star of the sentence.

It Works Like 'Gustar'

Use 'duele' when one thing hurts (la cabeza). Use 'duelen' when more than one thing hurts, like 'Me duelen los pies' (My feet hurt).

'Duele' for One, 'Duelen' for Many

Extremely common. This is the primary way to talk about physical aches and pains.

When the thing that hurts you is a whole idea (like 'that you don't trust me'), you connect it with 'que'. The verb after 'que' will then use a special form for moods and feelings: 'Me duele que te *vayas*' (It hurts me that you're leaving).

When an Action Hurts

Using 'duele' for emotions is stronger than just saying 'estoy triste' (I'm sad). It suggests a deep, personal pain or a strong sense of regret over something.

Deeper Than Sadness

Very common for expressing emotional pain, sorrow, or regret.

Learn how to use 'duele' in Spanish to talk about physical and emotional pain. See full conjugations for the verb 'doler', examples, and common mistakes.

doler

Complete Conjugation Tables

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

future

imperfect

conditional

preterite

imperative

negative

affirmative

subjunctive

present

imperfect

Practice Conjugations