me rompí la pierna
/me ɾompi la pjeɾna/from spelling rules
To say "I broke my leg" in Spanish, use me rompí la pierna.
This phrase is used to state that you have suffered a bone fracture in your leg.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally structured as "to myself I broke the leg". It uses the reflexive pronoun me to indicate that the action was performed on one's own body.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ɾompi la pjeɾna/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying rompí mi pierna. English speakers often mistakenly use the possessive mi (my) instead of the reflexive me and the definite article la (the) when talking about body parts.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word pierna shares its history with the English word 'pork', via the Latin perna which meant 'ham' or 'pig's shank'.
- While pierna refers to the whole leg, Spanish uses a different word, pata, for the legs of animals or furniture.
- The verb romper is used not just for bones, but also to describe breaking a promise, a silence or a heart.
Examples in context
- Me rompí la pierna.I broke my leg.Tatoeba #1248573 by Shishir, translation #259242 by CK
- Me rompí la pierna esquiando.I broke my leg skiing.Tatoeba #1361246 by marcelostockle, translation #327054 by CK
- Me caí y me fracturé la piernaI fell and broke my leg
- Tuve un accidente y me rompí la piernaI had an accident and broke my leg
- ¡Necesito ayuda! Me he fracturado la piernaI need help! I have broken my leg
- No puedo caminar porque me rompí la pierna.I cannot walk because I broke my leg.
Example conversation
Alejandro is visiting Elena at the hospital.
- Alejandro¿Cómo estás, Elena?How are you, Elena?
- ElenaMal, me rompí la pierna en un accidente.Bad, I broke my leg in an accident.
- AlejandroLo siento mucho, espero que te recuperes pronto.I am very sorry, I hope you recover soon.
- ElenaGracias, Alejandro.Thank you, Alejandro.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, me, pierna, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
