me duele la rodilla
/me dwele la ɾodiʝa/from spelling rules
To say "my knee hurts" in Spanish, use me duele la rodilla.
This phrase is used to express that you are experiencing physical pain specifically in the knee joint.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to "to me it hurts the knee" rather than a direct translation of "my knee hurts".
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to body parts in Spanish, it is standard to use the definite article la (the) instead of a possessive adjective. For example, you use la rodilla (the knee) instead of saying "my knee".
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the possessive adjective mi (my) to say something like mi rodilla me duele. Instead, use the indirect object pronoun me and the definite article as shown in the correct form me duele la rodilla.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word for 'knee', rodilla, has a surprising connection to the word 'wheel'. It originates from the Late Latin diminutive rotella, which is a small wheel.
- The phrase me duele is used for both physical pain and emotional heartache, such as when someone says 'it hurts me' to express sadness.
- Because the phrase uses the indirect object pronoun me, you are linguistically saying that the pain is 'acting upon' you. The knee is the subject that is performing the action of hurting.
Examples in context
- Me duele la rodilla con los cambios de tiempo.My knee hurts when the weather changes.This sentence shows how to describe how weather changes can affect the pain.Tatoeba #2940105 by wallebot, translation #9274022 by Nylez
- Me duele la rodilla al caminar.My knee hurts when walking.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are walking in the park.
- MateoAy, me duele la rodilla.Oh, my knee hurts.
- Elena¿Te duele mucho, Mateo?Does it hurt a lot, Mateo?
- MateoSí, un poco.Yes, a little.
- ElenaDeberías descansar un momento.You should rest for a moment.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, me, rodilla, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
