dolor
neutral, Mexico
The Spanish word for "pain" is dolor. To say something hurts, Mexicans use me duele followed by the body part, as in me duele la cabeza. It is also called Dolor de cabeza.
Meaning: physical hurt (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| dolor | neutral, Mexico |
| Me duele | I feel pain |
| Dolor de cabeza | headache |
At a clinic you might say tengo dolor de estómago or me duele aquí. The verb doler works like gustar, so the body part is the subject.
How does it change in a sentence?
With a plural body part, use duelen: me duelen los pies.
Did you know?
- The verb doler changes its stem in the present: duele, duelen.
Examples in context
- Tengo mucho dolor en la espalda.I have a lot of pain in my back.
- Me duele la cabeza.My head hurts.
- Me duelen los pies.My feet hurt.
Example conversation
Gabriela describes her symptoms to Doctor Ruiz at a clinic in Mexico City.
- GabrielaDoctor, me duele el estómago.Doctor, my stomach hurts.
- Doctor Ruiz¿Desde cuándo tiene el dolor?Since when have you had the pain?
- GabrielaDesde ayer por la noche.Since last night.
