My foot hurts
in SpanishMe duele el pie.
/meh DWEH-leh el PYEH/
This is the most common and standard way to say 'My foot hurts' in Spanish. It uses a special verb, 'doler', which works backwards compared to English, more like saying 'The foot is hurting me'.
Whether it's from a long walk or a small injury, 'Me duele el pie' is the essential phrase you need to express your discomfort in Spanish.
💬Other Ways to Say It
Tengo dolor de pie.
/TEN-goh doh-LOR deh PYEH/
A very common alternative that translates more literally to 'I have foot pain'. It's slightly more descriptive and is just as widely understood and used as 'Me duele el pie'.
Me duelen los pies.
/meh DWEH-len lohs PYEHS/
This is how you say 'My feet hurt' (plural). Notice the verb changes from 'duele' to 'duelen' to match 'los pies' (the feet). This is a crucial distinction.
Me está doliendo el pie.
/meh ehs-TAH doh-LYEN-doh el PYEH/
This version means 'My foot is hurting me (right now)'. It emphasizes that the pain is ongoing at this very moment. It uses a structure similar to the English '-ing' form (the present progressive).
Siento un dolor en el pie.
/SYEN-toh oon doh-LOR en el PYEH/
This translates to 'I feel a pain in my foot'. It's a slightly more descriptive and formal way to express the sensation, often used when describing symptoms to a medical professional.
¡Qué dolor de pie!
/KEH doh-LOR deh PYEH/
This is an exclamation meaning 'What a foot pain!' or 'My foot hurts so much!'. It's used to express a strong or sudden pain emphatically.
Me duele la pata.
/meh DWEH-leh lah PAH-tah/
A very informal, slangy way to say your foot or leg hurts. 'Pata' literally means 'paw' or an animal's leg, so using it for a person's foot is highly colloquial and a bit humorous.
🔑Key Words
Key Words to learn:
📊Quick Comparison
Here’s a quick comparison of the most common ways to say your foot hurts.
| Phrase | Literal Meaning | Best For | Avoid When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Me duele el pie. | The foot hurts me. | Everyday, universal use. It's the default option. | Never. This is always a good choice. |
| Tengo dolor de pie. | I have foot pain. | Also for everyday use, slightly more descriptive. Great for medical contexts. | Never. It's as correct and common as the primary version. |
| Me está doliendo el pie. | The foot is hurting me now. | Emphasizing that the pain is happening at this exact moment. | Describing a chronic or general pain that isn't flaring up right now. |
| Me duele la pata. | The paw hurts me. | Joking with close friends or complaining very informally. | In any formal, professional, or medical setting. It can sound unrefined. |
📈Difficulty Level
The sounds are straightforward for English speakers. 'Duele' (DWEH-leh) and 'pie' (PYEH) are easy to approximate.
The grammatical structure of 'doler' is a significant challenge. It works like 'gustar' and is inverted compared to English, which requires dedicated practice.
Expressing pain is a universal concept. There are very few cultural traps or nuances to worry about with this phrase.
Key Challenges:
- Mastering the 'me duele' structure instead of 'yo duelo'.
- Remembering to use 'el/la/los/las' for body parts instead of 'mi/tu/su'.
💡Examples in Action
Doctora, no puedo caminar bien porque me duele el pie derecho.
Doctor, I can't walk well because my right foot hurts.
¡Uf, qué caminata! Ahora me duelen los pies un montón.
Ugh, what a hike! Now my feet hurt a lot.
Mamá, ¿me puedes llevar en brazos? Me está doliendo el pie.
Mom, can you carry me? My foot is hurting.
Creo que necesito zapatos nuevos. Siempre tengo dolor de pies después del trabajo.
I think I need new shoes. I always have foot pain after work.
🌍Cultural Context
The 'Backwards' Verb: Doler
The verb 'doler' (to hurt) works like 'gustar' (to like). Instead of saying 'I hurt my foot', you say 'To me, the foot hurts' (Me duele el pie). The thing causing the pain is the subject of the sentence, which is why the verb changes for plural things ('Me duelen los pies'). Mastering this concept is a huge step toward sounding natural.
It's 'The Foot,' Not 'My Foot'
A major difference from English is that you use the definite article ('el', 'la', 'los', 'las') with body parts, not possessive adjectives ('mi', 'tu', 'su'). The phrase 'Me duele...' already tells everyone whose foot it is. Saying 'Me duele mi pie' is redundant and a common mistake for learners.
Expressing Pain is Normal
In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it's common and socially acceptable to express physical discomfort openly, often with sounds like '¡Ay!'. Saying '¡Ay, cómo me duele!' ('Oh, how it hurts!') is a very natural way to add emphasis when you're in pain among friends or family.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Direct Translation Error
Mistake: "Mi pie duele."
Correction: Me duele el pie.
Wrong Verb Choice: 'Lastimar'
Mistake: "Me lastimé el pie."
Correction: Me duele el pie.
Incorrect Plural Form
Mistake: "Me duele los pies."
Correction: Me duelen los pies.
Using 'Yo' (I)
Mistake: "Yo duelo el pie."
Correction: Me duele el pie.
💡Pro Tips
Change the Person, Change the Pronoun
To talk about someone else's pain, just swap the pronoun: 'Te duele' (Your foot hurts), 'Le duele' (His/Her/Your formal foot hurts), 'Nos duele' (Our foot hurts). The 'duele/duelen' part only changes if the body part is singular or plural.
Add Intensity Words
Make your description more specific by adding adverbs. 'Me duele un poco' (it hurts a little), 'Me duele mucho' (it hurts a lot), or even 'Me duele muchísimo' (it hurts a whole lot).
Specify the Location
You can be more precise by adding where on the foot it hurts. For example, 'Me duele el talón' (My heel hurts) or 'Me duele el dedo gordo del pie' (My big toe hurts).
🗺️Regional Variations
Universal
These phrases are the gold standard across the entire Spanish-speaking world, from Madrid to Mexico City to Buenos Aires. You cannot go wrong with them.
Mexico
In Mexico, it's somewhat common to use the verb 'traer' (to bring/carry) to talk about aches and pains you're 'carrying' with you, as in 'Traigo un dolor...' ('I've got a pain...'). Diminutives are also common, so a child might say 'me duele mi piececito,' which is endearing.
Argentina & Uruguay
The use of 'pata' (paw) for foot is quite common in very informal, friendly contexts in the River Plate region. It's a hallmark of casual, local speech.
Spain
In Spain, it's common to hear expressions like 'Tengo el pie fastidiado' (My foot is messed up/annoyed) or 'Tengo el pie hecho polvo' (My foot is turned to dust) to express pain or injury in a colloquial way.
💬What Comes Next?
You say your foot hurts.
¿Qué te pasó?
What happened to you?
No sé, creo que caminé demasiado.
I don't know, I think I walked too much.
You tell a friend you have foot pain.
Pobrecito/a. ¿Quieres sentarte?
Poor thing. Do you want to sit down?
Sí, por favor. Gracias.
Yes, please. Thank you.
You tell a doctor your foot hurts.
¿Desde cuándo tiene el dolor?
How long have you had the pain?
Desde ayer por la mañana.
Since yesterday morning.
🧠Memory Tricks
This connects the Spanish verb to an English word with a similar sound and meaning (pain/sadness), making it easier to recall.
This visual gag helps lock in the unusual word order and the use of 'el' instead of 'mi'.
🔄How It Differs from English
The biggest difference is the sentence structure. English uses a Subject-Verb-Object pattern ('I feel pain'). Spanish uses an Object-Verb-Subject-like pattern for 'doler' where the thing causing pain is the grammatical subject ('The foot causes pain to me'). This requires a complete shift in thinking and is one of the most important grammatical concepts for English speakers to learn.
False Friends & Common Confusions:
Why it's different: The verb 'doler' is almost exclusively for the sensation of pain. If you mean 'to hurt someone's feelings' or 'to physically injure someone', you would use different verbs.
Use instead: Use 'herir' or 'lastimar' for causing an injury (e.g., 'La caída me lastimó la espalda' - The fall hurt my back). Use 'hacer daño' for hurting feelings ('Tus palabras me hicieron daño' - Your words hurt me).
🎯Your Learning Path
➡️ Learn Next:
How to say my head hurts
This lets you practice the 'me duele' structure with another common ailment.
How to say 'I'm sick'
Expands your vocabulary for general health problems beyond just pain.
How to say 'I need a doctor'
This is the logical next step for expressing a more serious medical need.
How to say 'I injured myself'
Helps you learn the difference between having an ache ('doler') and sustaining an injury ('lastimarse').
✏️Test Your Knowledge
💡 Quick Quiz: My foot hurts
Question 1 of 3
You've been wearing new shoes all day and both of your feet are aching. How do you tell your friend?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I say 'Me duele el pie' instead of 'Mi pie duele'?
It's because the verb 'doler' (to hurt) works differently in Spanish. You're not the one doing the hurting; the foot is. The phrase literally means 'The foot causes pain to me.' The 'me' tells us whose foot it is, so using 'mi' (my) is unnecessary.
So how do I say 'My feet hurt' if both are in pain?
You make the verb match the plural noun. You say, 'Me duelen los pies.' 'Duele' is for one thing that hurts (el pie), and 'duelen' is for two or more things that hurt (los pies).
What's the real difference between 'doler' and 'lastimar'?
'Doler' is the feeling of pain or an ache inside your body. 'Lastimar(se)' is the action of getting injured, usually from an external cause like a fall or a cut. For example, you fall and injure your foot ('Me lastimo el pie'), and as a result, your foot hurts ('Me duele el pie').
How do I say that someone else's foot hurts?
You just change the little word at the beginning. To say 'Your foot hurts,' you'd say 'Te duele el pie.' For 'His/her foot hurts,' it's 'Le duele el pie.' The 'duele el pie' part stays the same.
Is it okay to say 'Tengo dolor de pie'?
Absolutely. 'Tengo dolor de pie' (I have foot pain) is a perfectly normal and very common alternative to 'Me duele el pie.' They are used interchangeably in all situations, and sometimes it can feel easier for English speakers to say.
How can I say the pain is very strong?
You can add an adverb like 'mucho' or 'muchísimo' (a lot, a whole lot), as in 'Me duele mucho el pie.' You can also use stronger expressions like 'Me mata el dolor de pie' (The foot pain is killing me).
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