dor
/ˈdoʁ/feminine
The English word "pain" is translated into Portuguese as dor.
Dor is the most common and versatile term for pain in Portuguese, applying to both physical and emotional pain. To specify types of pain, you can use the structure "dor de [body part]", such as dor de cabeça for "headache" and dor de dente for "toothache". While dor covers general sensations, other words exist for specific nuances: agonia is used for intense pain or agony, mágoa refers specifically to emotional pain or grief and sofrimento encompasses both physical and emotional suffering.
Meaning: ache or bodily suffering (noun)
Which one should you use?
Dor is the noun used for the sensation of pain, whereas the related verb doer is used to describe the action of hurting or causing pain.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the informal term perrengue is used to express a difficult or painful situation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone is experiencing pain, it is common to use the verb ter (to have). For example, the phrase Onde você tem dor? translates to "Where do you have pain?"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdoʁ/
Did you know?
- The expression dor de cotovelo literally means 'elbow pain' but is used idiomatically to describe the pain of unrequited love or jealousy.
- Portuguese speakers use dor to describe the 'pain' of a longing for someone, which is closely linked to the cultural concept of saudade.
- The word agonia in Portuguese is often used to describe the 'pain' of extreme anxiety or the struggle for breath during the final moments of life.
Examples in context
- A dor se foi.The pain has gone.This example shows how to say the pain has left using dor.Tatoeba #5982563 by Ricardo14, translation #278308 by CK
- Tom está com dor.Tom is in pain.This example shows how to say someone is in pain using dor.Tatoeba #4925493 by bill, translation #2273235 by CK
- Onde você tem dor?Where do you have pain?This example shows how to ask someone where they have pain using dor.Tatoeba #885335 by alexmarcelo, translation #403283 by CK
- Eu estou sentindo dor nas costasI am feeling back pain
- A paciente está passando por uma agonia intensaThe patient is going through intense agony
- Ele está cheio de mágoa após a perda do seu cachorroHe is filled with grief after the loss of his dog
- A notícia trouxe muito sofrimento para a famíliaThe news brought a lot of suffering to the family
- Eu estou com uma dorzinha de cabeçaI have a little headache
- Estou passando um perrengue com essa dor nas costasI am going through a tough situation with this back pain
- Ele sente uma dor forte no estômagoHe feels a strong pain in his stomach
- Meus pés doemMy feet hurt
- Preciso de ajuda médica, estou sentindo dores intensasI need medical help, I am experiencing intense pain
- 228 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila tells Rodrigo that she has a headache.
- CamilaRodrigo, eu estou com muita dor de cabeça.Rodrigo, I have a bad headache.
- RodrigoEssa dor começou agora ou faz tempo?Did this pain start now or a while ago?
- CamilaA dor começou logo depois do almoço.The pain started right after lunch.
- RodrigoVou pegar um remédio para você, Camila.I will get some medicine for you, Camila.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pain” translations and entries dor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
