me duele el brazo
/me dwele el bɾaθo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'my arm hurts' is expressed in Spanish as me duele el brazo.
This phrase is used to state that you are experiencing physical pain in your arm.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to 'to me it hurts the arm'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When talking about body parts in this construction, Spanish uses the definite article el (the) instead of the possessive adjective mi (my).
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying mi brazo duele, which is a common mistake made by English speakers trying to translate 'my arm hurts' directly. Instead, use the indirect object pronoun me with the verb doler as seen in the natural phrase me duele el brazo.
Did you know?
- The word brazo shares an ancient ancestor with the Greek word for 'short', suggesting the arm was viewed as the 'shorter' part of the body.
- In many Spanish dialects, if your arm is particularly sore, you might say me duele un montón to emphasize the intensity, rather than just using the standard phrase.
- The word brazo is an indirect descendant of the Latin bracchium, which is the same root found in the English word 'brachial', used in medical contexts.
Examples in context
- Me duele el brazo.My arm hurts.This example is useful for learning how to state that your arm hurts using me duele el brazo.Tatoeba #1321853 by marcelostockle, translation #1369200 by sacredceltic
- Hola doctor, me duele el brazo desde ayer. ¿Podría recetarme algo para el dolor?Hello doctor, my arm has been hurting since yesterday. Could you prescribe something for the pain?
- ¡Ay! Me duele el brazo, creo que me excedí haciendo ejercicio.Ouch! My arm hurts, I think I overdid it while exercising.
- No puedo levantar nada hoy. Me duele el brazo entero, desde el hombro hasta los dedos.I can't lift anything today. My whole arm hurts, from the shoulder to the fingers.
- Me duele el brazo izquierdo.My left arm hurts.
Example conversation
María is talking to Alejandro about a sports injury.
- MaríaAlejandro, me duele el brazo.Alejandro, my arm hurts.
- Alejandro¿Qué te pasó, María?What happened to you, María?
- MaríaCreo que me lesioné jugando tenis.I think I injured myself playing tennis.
- AlejandroDeberías ir al médico pronto.You should go to the doctor soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries brazo, el, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
