me duele la pierna
/me dwele la pjeɾna/from spelling rules
To say "my leg hurts" in Spanish, use me duele la pierna.
The phrase is used to express that you are experiencing physical pain in your leg. You can also say Siento incomodidad en la pierna if you want to express that you feel discomfort in your leg.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, me duele la pierna translates to "to me it hurts the leg".
Which one should you use?
In very informal or slang contexts, some speakers use me duele la pata.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In regions like Argentina and Uruguay, you may hear the informal expression Tengo un dolor en la gambeta. Additionally, in some parts of Latin America, la gamba is used to refer to the leg.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that your leg was hurting in the past, change the verb duele to the imperfect tense dolía, resulting in me dolía la pierna.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying mi pierna me duele. English speakers often mistakenly use the possessive adjective mi (my) instead of the definite article la (the) when describing body parts in Spanish.
Did you know?
- In Argentina and Uruguay, the word gamba for 'leg' is also used as slang for one thousand pesos. If someone mentions gambas in a financial context, they are talking about money, not limbs.
- The Spanish word pierna is inherited from the Latin perna, which originally referred to the ham or the upper part of the leg used for meat.
- The word pata is typically reserved for animal legs or the legs of furniture. Using it to describe your own leg is usually a way to be humorous or self-deprecating.
Examples in context
- Me duele la pierna.My leg hurts.This sentence is useful for practicing the standard way to say "my leg hurts" using me duele la pierna.Tatoeba #1359449 by marcelostockle, translation #3717736 by CK
- Doctor, me duele la pierna desde ayer.Doctor, my leg has been hurting since yesterday.
- Necesito ver a un médico, tengo dolor en la pierna derecha.I need to see a doctor, I have pain in my right leg.
- Me duele la pierna después de correr.My leg hurts after running.
- No puedo caminar porque me duele la pierna.I cannot walk because my leg hurts.
Example conversation
Daniel is talking to María after a soccer game.
- DanielMaría, me duele la pierna mucho.María, my leg hurts a lot.
- María¿Te lastimaste durante el partido?Did you hurt yourself during the game?
- DanielSí, creo que me caí mal.Yes, I think I fell badly.
- MaríaSiéntate y voy a ayudarte.Sit down and I will help you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, me, pierna, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
