Inklingo

How to Say "it aches" in Spanish

The Spanish word forit achesis dueleA1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1

duele

VerbA1
describing a dull pain
A small cartoon child sitting on the ground, gently holding their knee with a look of mild physical discomfort.

Examples

Me duele la cabeza.

My head hurts.

¿Te duele la garganta?

Does your throat hurt?

A mi hermano le duele la espalda después de correr.

My brother's back hurts after running.

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.

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.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.