me duele la garganta
/me dwele la ɡaɾɡanta/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I have a sore throat" is said as me duele la garganta.
This phrase is used to express that the inside of your neck feels painful or irritated.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "to me it hurts the throat" rather than "I have a sore throat".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say tengo una garganta dolorosa (I have a painful throat) by following English sentence structure. Instead, use the verb doler to express physical pain as seen in the standard form me duele la garganta.
Did you know?
- The word garganta can also refer to a deep, narrow valley or a canyon in geography, mimicking the shape of the human throat.
- If you want to say your throat hurts a lot, you can replace duele with me mata la garganta, which literally means 'the throat kills me'.
- The term garganta is thought to be onomatopoeic, meaning it may have originated from a sound that mimics the actual act of swallowing or gargling.
Examples in context
- Me duele la garganta y tengo un poco de fiebre.I have a sore throat and a slight fever.This sentence is useful for adding that you have a slight fever alongside the form me duele la garganta.Tatoeba #1792051 by Shishir, translation #35761 by CK
- Me duele la garganta.I have a sore throat.This is a simple way to state that you have a sore throat using the form me duele la garganta.Tatoeba #345507 by tatoerique, translation #417891 by CK
- Me duele muchísimo la garganta.My throat hurts very much.
- Tengo la garganta muy irritada y roja.I have a very irritated and red throat.
- No puedo hablar bien porque me duele la garganta.I cannot speak well because I have a sore throat.
Example conversation
Lucía tells Mateo she cannot go to the party.
- LucíaNo puedo ir hoy, me duele la garganta.I can't go today, I have a sore throat.
- MateoLo siento, Lucía. ¿Tienes fiebre?I'm sorry, Lucía. Do you have a fever?
- LucíaNo, solo me duele la garganta.No, I just have a sore throat.
- MateoDescansa mucho y bebe agua.Rest a lot and drink water.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries garganta, la, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
