te haré daño
/te aɾe daɲo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I will hurt you" is said as te haré daño.
This phrase is a statement used to threaten someone with physical or emotional pain.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the direct object pronoun te (you), the future tense of hacer (to make/do) and daño (damage/harm). Literally, it translates to "I will make you damage".
Which one should you use?
While te haré daño is a standard way to state the threat, the phrase te voy a hacer daño (I am going to hurt you) is a more common way to express an imminent threat or intention in spoken Spanish. Additionally, te lastimaré can be used as a more direct synonym for "to hurt" or "to injure" in many Spanish-speaking regions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the expression Te voy a dar en la madre is used to mean "I'm going to hit you hard".
How do you pronounce it?
/te aɾe daɲo/
Did you know?
- The Latin root of daño originally referred to an 'expense' or 'investment' before evolving to mean loss or harm.
- In Mexico, the phrase Te voy a dar en la madre uses the word for 'mother' to describe a violent physical attack.
- If you use the phrase te haré daño in a poetic or literary context, it can sound more like a declaration of destined suffering than a spontaneous angry outburst.
Examples in context
- ¡Ya basta! Te voy a hacer daño si sigues molestando.Enough is enough! I will hurt you if you keep bothering me.
- Si no me devuelves el dinero, te haré daño.If you don't return my money, I will hurt you.
- No te acerques o te haré daño.Don't come closer or I will hurt you.
- Te haré daño si vuelves a mentirme.I will hurt you if you lie to me again.
Example conversation
Two people are having a heated argument in a dark alley.
- AlejandroDame el dinero ahora mismo.Give me the money right now.
- ElenaNo tengo nada para darte, Alejandro.I have nothing to give you, Alejandro.
- AlejandroSi no mientes más, te haré daño.If you keep lying, I will hurt you.
- Elena¡Déjame ir, por favor!Let me go, please!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries daño, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
