doler
/doh-LEHR/
to hurt
"Doler" means 'to hurt' when referring to physical pain.
doler(verb)
to hurt
?physical pain
,to ache
?continuous pain
to be painful
?describing the sensation
📝 In Action
¿Te duele la espalda después de trabajar?
A1Does your back hurt after working?
Me duelen mucho los pies por los zapatos nuevos.
A2My feet hurt a lot because of the new shoes.
Al dentista le dolió la cabeza todo el día.
B1The dentist had a headache all day (literally: The head hurt the dentist all day).
💡 Grammar Points
Using Doler (The 'Gustar' Structure)
Unlike English ('I hurt my leg'), Spanish phrases the sentence backward: the object (the leg) is the subject, and the person feeling the pain is the indirect object. You must use 'me, te, le, nos, os, les' first.
Singular vs. Plural
The verb 'doler' must agree with the body part that is hurting. If you have one aching body part (la cabeza), use 'duele'. If you have multiple (los pies), use 'duelen'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Indirect Pronoun
Mistake: "La cabeza duele (The head hurts)."
Correction: Me duele la cabeza (My head hurts me). You must include the 'me, te, le, etc.' to say who is feeling the pain.
Using the 'Yo' form incorrectly
Mistake: "Yo duelo la pierna."
Correction: Me duele la pierna. The 'yo' form (duelo) is almost never used naturally in this context, as you are usually describing the body part's action (duele/duelen) on you (me).
⭐ Usage Tips
Clarity with 'Le' and 'Les'
Since 'le' and 'les' can mean 'him,' 'her,' 'it,' 'them,' or 'you (formal),' always add 'a' + the person's name or pronoun for clarity: 'A Juan le duele el brazo.'
When used to mean 'to grieve' or cause sorrow, "doler" refers to emotional pain.
doler(verb)
to grieve
?to cause sorrow
,to pain
?to cause emotional distress
to regret
?when used with something someone did
📝 In Action
Le duele mucho que sus hijos no la visiten.
B1It pains her greatly that her children don't visit her.
Nos duele pensar en todo el tiempo perdido.
B2It grieves us to think about all the lost time.
Me duele que la gente no sea más amable.
C1It bothers me that people aren't kinder (literally: It pains me that people...).
💡 Grammar Points
Doler + Subjunctive
When 'doler' expresses regret or sadness about someone else's action or a situation, the verb that follows must be in the subjunctive mood (the special form for wishes and feelings): 'Me duele que vivas tan lejos.'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Physical and Emotional Contexts
Mistake: "Me duele la noticia (I hurt the news)."
Correction: Me entristece la noticia (The news saddens me). While 'doler' works, 'entristecer' or 'dar pena' are often smoother for general bad news.
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing Sympathy
A common way to express sympathy for someone's misfortune is to say 'Cuánto me duele,' meaning 'How much that pains me.'
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
imperfect
present
preterite
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: doler
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'doler' to mean 'My knees hurt'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'doler' considered an irregular verb?
It's irregular because of the stem change. In the present tense, the 'o' changes to 'ue' in the 'boot' forms (yo, tú, él/ella, ellos/ellas): *doler* becomes *duelo*, *duele*, *duelen*. The 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms stay regular (*dolemos*, *doléis*).
Is it okay to use 'doler' for minor annoyances, or just serious pain?
It is usually reserved for actual pain or deep emotional distress. For minor annoyances, it is better to use 'molestar' (to bother) or 'picar' (to itch).