duele
/DWEH-leh/
it hurts
When referring to a body part, 'duele' means it hurts physically.
duele(Verb)
it hurts
?referring to a body part
he/she has a pain in...
?alternative phrasing
,it aches
?describing a dull pain
📝 In Action
Me duele la cabeza.
A1My head hurts.
¿Te duele la garganta?
A1Does your throat hurt?
A mi hermano le duele la espalda después de correr.
A2My brother's back hurts after running.
💡 Grammar Points
It Works Like 'Gustar'
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.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Saying 'Yo duelo'
Mistake: "A common mistake is saying 'Yo duelo la cabeza.'"
Correction: The correct way is 'Me duele la cabeza.' Always use 'me', 'te', 'le', etc., to show who is feeling the pain.
⭐ Usage Tips
'Duele' for One, 'Duelen' for Many
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' can also describe emotional pain or sadness.
duele(Verb)
it hurts
?emotionally
it saddens
?to cause sorrow
,to regret
?feeling sorry about something
📝 In Action
Me duele que no confíes en mí.
B1It hurts me that you don't trust me.
Le duele haberte mentido.
B2He/She regrets having lied to you.
Me duele ver tanta injusticia en el mundo.
B1It pains me to see so much injustice in the world.
💡 Grammar Points
When an Action Hurts
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).
⭐ Usage Tips
Deeper Than Sadness
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.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: duele
Question 1 of 1
How would you say 'My feet hurt' in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'duele' and 'lastima'?
'Duele' describes the feeling of pain you experience inside ('Me duele la pierna' - My leg hurts). 'Lastima' often describes an action that causes an injury ('Él me lastimó la pierna' - He hurt my leg). 'Duele' is about the state of hurting, while 'lastima' is more about the act of hurting.
Why does the verb 'doler' change from 'o' to 'ue' (like in 'duele')?
'Doler' is a 'stem-changing' verb. In many common situations, like this one, the 'o' in the middle of the word changes to 'ue' to make it easier to pronounce. But notice how it changes back to 'o' for 'nosotros': 'nosotros dolemos'. It's a pattern you'll see in many other Spanish verbs!