me torcí el tobillo
/me toɾθi el tobiʝo/from spelling rules
To say "I twisted my ankle" in Spanish, use me torcí el tobillo.
This phrase is used to say that you injured your ankle by turning it suddenly.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the reflexive pronoun me (myself), the past tense of torcer (to twist) and el tobillo (the ankle).
Which one should you use?
An alternative way to express this is using the accidental se construction, which emphasizes that the injury was an unintentional accident: se me torció el tobillo.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, you use a reflexive pronoun (me) and the definite article (el) instead of a possessive adjective (mi) to indicate that the body part belongs to you.
How do you pronounce it?
/me toɾθi el tobiʝo/
Did you know?
- You can use a special grammar structure to make it sound more like an accident. By saying se me torció el tobillo, you are literally saying 'the ankle twisted itself on me', which shifts the blame away from your own movement.
- The word tobillo comes from a word meaning 'a little swelling' or 'a bump'. It is a diminutive of the Latin word tūber, which refers to a protuberance.
- In Spanish, describing a body part as 'twisted' with torcer can also be used to describe a crooked street or a distorted piece of metal.
Examples in context
- Me torcí el tobillo.I twisted my ankle.This sentence is useful for stating that you twisted your ankle.Tatoeba #1243012 by marcelostockle, translation #1110536 by Scott
- Me torcí el tobillo mientras hacía ejercicio.I twisted my ankle while exercising.
- Me hice un esguince en el tobillo al jugar fútbol.I sprained my ankle playing soccer.
- Me torcí el tobillo al tropezar con una piedra en la calle.I twisted my ankle by tripping over a stone on the street.
- Me torcí el tobillo corriendo en el parque.I twisted my ankle running in the park.
- No puedo caminar porque me torcí el tobillo.I cannot walk because I twisted my ankle.
Example conversation
Mateo is limping and Elena asks what happened.
- ElenaMateo, ¿por qué caminas así?Mateo, why are you walking like that?
- MateoEs que me torcí el tobillo hace un momento.It's just that I twisted my ankle a moment ago.
- Elena¡Qué mal! ¿Te duele mucho?That's too bad! Does it hurt a lot?
- MateoSí, necesito sentarme un poco.Yes, I need to sit down for a bit.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, me, tobillo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
