dolor
/doˈloɾ/masculine
The English phrase 'pain' is translated into Spanish as dolor.
dolor refers to an ache or bodily suffering. In more formal contexts, the word Malestar can be used to describe a general sense of discomfort or unease.
Meaning: ache or bodily suffering (noun)
Which one should you use?
While dolor is the noun for pain, doler is the verb used to express that something hurts, such as in the phrase Me duele la cabeza (My head hurts). Other related verbs include apenar, adolorar and the verbs for inflicting suffering as a penalty, castigar and condenar.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun dolor is masculine and is used with masculine articles like el or un.
How do you pronounce it?
/doˈloɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say yo tengo dolor (I have pain) when they mean 'it hurts me'. While grammatically possible, the more natural way to express physical sensation is using the verb doler with an indirect object pronoun, like me duele.
Did you know?
- The verb doler functions like gustar, meaning it is rarely used with a subject pronoun like yo. Instead, the part of the body causing the dolor acts as the subject.
- The word dolor shares its Latin root with the English word 'doleful', which describes someone who is full of sorrow or grief.
- If someone says ¡Qué dolor de cabeza!, they might be expressing frustration at a difficult situation rather than just a physical headache.
Examples in context
- El dolor se ha ido.The pain has gone.This sentence is useful for saying that the dolor has gone.Tatoeba #1968931 by Shishir, translation #278308 by CK
- No soporto el dolor.I can't bear the pain.This sentence is useful for expressing that you cannot bear the dolor.Tatoeba #1803718 by marcelostockle, translation #278300 by CK
- Mi dolor es crónico.My pain is chronic.This sentence is useful for describing a chronic dolor.Tatoeba #9130752 by rafaeldejesus8199, translation #9130754 by rafaeldejesus8199
- Tengo dolor en la cabezaI have a headache
- El dolor emocional puede ser difícil de manejarEmotional pain can be hard to deal with
- Siento un malestar en el estómagoI feel discomfort in my stomach
- Estoy sufriendo dolores en las articulacionesI am suffering from joint pains
- Tengo un dolorcito en la espaldaI have a little pain in my back
- Me duele mucho la cabezaMy head hurts a lot
- Me hace daño la gargantaMy throat hurts
- Tengo un dolor fuerte en la piernaI have a strong pain in my leg
- Sufro de dolor crónico en la espaldaI suffer from chronic back pain
- Dolor de muelastoothache
- Dolor de cabezaheadache
- 235 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena is asking Daniel how he feels after a workout.
- Elena¿Sientes algún dolor en la espalda?Do you feel any pain in your back?
- DanielSí, tengo un dolor fuerte en la cintura.Yes, I have a strong pain in my waist.
- ElenaTal vez necesites descansar un poco.Maybe you need to rest a little.
- DanielTienes razón, el dolor es bastante molesto.You are right, the pain is quite annoying.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pain” translations and entries dolor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dolor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
