How to Say "it hurts" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “it hurts” is “duele” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishA1
VerbA1
referring to a body part
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.
Other Meanings of “duele”
Related Translations
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