What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is structured literally as "To me hurts the shoulder", which is the standard way to express physical pain in Spanish. The pronoun me functions as the indirect object, indicating who is experiencing the sensation of pain.
Which one should you use?
While Me duele el hombro is the standard expression, you may use Siento dolor en el hombro to say "I feel pain in my shoulder" and Me está matando el hombro to say "My shoulder is killing me".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay, you can use Me duele el hombro a mí to emphasize the possession of the pain. In Mexico and Colombia, the progressive form Me está doliendo el hombro may be used to express ongoing pain.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you have pain in both shoulders, you must change the verb from the singular duele to the plural duelen to agree with the plural subject los hombros, resulting in Me duelen los hombros.
How do you pronounce it?
/me dwele el ombɾo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Mi hombro me duele. While English speakers often use the possessive adjective "mi" (my), in Spanish you should use the definite article el (the) when describing body parts.
Did you know?
- The word hombro is a doublet of húmero, the Spanish word for the humerus bone. Both words share the same ancient root, but one evolved to describe the joint and the other the bone.
- The verb doler behaves like the verb gustar. The form of the verb changes based on whether one shoulder duele or two shoulders duelen, rather than changing based on the person feeling the pain.
Examples in context
- Me duele el hombro.My shoulder hurts.This is a simple way to state your shoulder hurts.Tatoeba #900776 by Shishir, translation #899477 by U2FS
- Sin embargo, me duele el hombro.However, my shoulder hurts.This sentence shows how to use the phrase with the word "however".Tatoeba #11497512 by carlosalberto, translation #11497436 by carlosalberto
- Me duele el hombro cuando levanto el brazo.My shoulder hurts when I lift my arm.This shows how to use the phrase to describe pain that occurs during a specific movement.Tatoeba #10749903 by DJ_Saidez, translation #10749902 by maaster
- Me duele intensamente el hombroMy shoulder hurts intensely
- Tengo un dolor punzante en el hombroI have a stabbing pain in my shoulder
- Me duele el hombro desde que tuve un accidenteMy shoulder hurts since I had an accident
- Comencé a sentir dolor en el hombro después de hacer ejercicioI started feeling pain in my shoulder after exercising
- Hola, doctor. Me duele el hombro. ¿Podría recetarme algo para el dolor?Hello, doctor. My shoulder hurts. Could you prescribe something for the pain?
- Disculpe, siento dolor en el hombro desde hace varios días. ¿Qué me recomendaría?Excuse me, I have been feeling pain in my shoulder for several days. What would you recommend?
- ¡Ay, me duele el hombro un montón! Creo que lo lastimé en el gimnasio.Ouch, my shoulder hurts a lot! I think I injured it at the gym.
- Me está matando el hombro, no puedo ni levantarlo. Creo que necesito ver a un especialista.My shoulder is killing me, I can't even lift it. I think I need to see a specialist.
Example conversation
Elena is talking to Alejandro at a gym.
- ElenaNo puedo levantar esta pesa, me duele el hombro.I can't lift this weight, my shoulder hurts.
- AlejandroLo siento, Elena. Deberías descansar un poco.I'm sorry, Elena. You should rest a bit.
- ElenaTienes razón, me duele el hombro mucho ahora.You're right, my shoulder hurts a lot now.
- AlejandroVamos a buscar un médico si no mejora.Let's find a doctor if it doesn't get better.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, hombro, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
