What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿te duele? translates literally to "Does it hurt you?" because the verb doler is used intransitively with an indirect object.
Which one should you use?
While ¿te duele? asks if something hurts you, adding the word algo to create ¿te duele algo? makes the question more general, asking if anything at all is causing discomfort. To ask if someone has any pain, you can use ¿Tienes algún dolor? (informal) or ¿Tiene algún dolor? (formal).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, ¿Le duele? is a common way to say "Does it hurt?"
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the subject of the question, use ¿les duele? if you are asking a group of people if they are in pain. Use ¿le duele? instead of ¿te duele? when speaking to someone in a formal or respectful manner.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say Estoy en dolor as a literal translation of "I am in pain". Instead, you should use the verb doler (for example, Me duele) or say Tengo dolor.
Did you know?
- While ¿te duele? asks about physical pain, adding the word corazón to create me duele el corazón is a common way to express deep emotional grief or heartbreak.
- The word dolor shares the same root as the English word 'dolorous', which describes a feeling of deep sorrow or misery.
- In many Spanish-speaking medical contexts, rather than asking 'are you in pain?', doctors might ask ¿Dónde siente molestias?, which translates to 'Where do you feel discomfort?'
Example conversation
Elena is helping Daniel after he tripped.
- ElenaDaniel, ¿te duele la pierna?Daniel, does your leg hurt?
- DanielSí, me duele bastante.Yes, it hurts quite a bit.
- ElenaVoy a revisar el tobillo, ¿te duele?I'm going to check the ankle, does it hurt?
- DanielNo, ahí ya no duele.No, it doesn't hurt there anymore.
