me duele la espalda
/me dwele la espalda/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "my back hurts" is me duele la espalda.
Me duele la espalda is used to express that you are experiencing physical pain in your back. To emphasize that the pain is severe in informal situations, you can say Mi espalda me está matando, which translates to "my back is killing me".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase me duele la espalda literally translates to "to me it hurts the back".
Which one should you use?
You may hear Tengo dolorcito en la espalda to convey a less severe level of discomfort, using the diminutive suffix -cito to indicate a "little pain".
Is it said differently in some regions?
Me anda doliendo la espalda is used in Latin America.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to body parts that are currently being experienced, Spanish uses the definite article la (the) instead of the possessive adjective mi (my). Therefore, you use la espalda rather than "mi espalda".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say mi espalda duele. Instead, use the indirect object pronoun me and the definite article la to say me duele la espalda.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Me duele la espalda.My back hurts.This example shows the basic way to state that your back hurts.Tatoeba #929944 by Shishir, translation #881871 by CK
- Me duele la espalda porque me he pasado todo el día pescando.My back hurts because I've been fishing all day.This sentence is useful for explaining the cause of your back pain.Tatoeba #3260709 by Shishir, translation #409171 by Scott
- Doctor, me duele la espalda.Doctor, my back hurts.This is how you might report your back pain to a doctor.Tatoeba #11497398 by carlosalberto, translation #11256776 by carlosalberto
- Disculpe, doctor. Me duele la espalda.Excuse me, doctor. My back hurts.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are talking in their living room after a long day of work.
- ElenaMe duele la espalda.My back hurts.
- Daniel¿Es por cargar esas cajas pesadas?Is it from carrying those heavy boxes?
- ElenaSí, Daniel, me duele mucho.Yes, Daniel, it hurts a lot.
- DanielDeberías descansar un poco.You should rest a little.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries espalda, la, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
