Inklingo

How to Say "sore" in Spanish

English → Spanish

doloroso

doh-loh-ROH-soh/do.loˈɾo.so/

adjectiveA2general
Use 'doloroso' when describing a feeling of pain or tenderness, like a sore muscle or a sore throat.
A small child sitting down and holding their knee, which has a small scrape and is causing them discomfort.

Examples

Mi garganta está muy dolorosa hoy.

My throat is very sore today.

La herida en mi rodilla es muy dolorosa.

The wound on my knee is very painful.

Necesitas una operación, pero no será dolorosa.

You need an operation, but it won't be painful.

Adjective Agreement

As an adjective, 'doloroso' must change its ending to match the noun it describes: use -a for feminine words (una operación dolorosa) and -os/-as for plural words (los recuerdos dolorosos).

herida

eh-REE-dah/eˈɾiða/

nounA2medical
Use 'herida' specifically when referring to a physical injury, such as a cut or a wound that is sore.
A close-up view of a scraped knee with a small adhesive bandage covering the minor injury.

Examples

La herida en mi rodilla es muy dolorosa.

The wound on my knee is very sore.

Necesitas limpiar bien la herida para evitar una infección.

You need to clean the wound well to avoid an infection.

Después del accidente, le pusieron puntos en la herida.

After the accident, they put stitches in the injury.

Always Feminine

Even though many words ending in '-a' are feminine, remember that 'herida' always uses feminine articles (la herida, una herida).

Confusing Noun and Adjective

Mistake: “La herida mujer (The wound woman)”

Correction: La mujer herida (The wounded woman). 'Herida' works as an adjective when describing someone, but as a noun when it's the injury itself.

Adjective vs. Noun

Learners often confuse 'doloroso' (painful, sore) with 'herida' (wound). Remember that 'doloroso' describes the sensation of pain, while 'herida' is the noun for the injury itself. You can have a 'herida dolorosa' (a sore wound), but the wound itself is not 'dolorosa' unless it's causing pain.

Related Translations

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