What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿Dónde le duele? literally translates to "Where does it hurt you?", where le is the indirect object pronoun for "you" (formal).
Which one should you use?
The phrase uses the verb doler (to hurt), which functions similarly to the verb gustar (to like). The thing that hurts is the subject, and the person feeling the pain is the indirect object. Depending on the context, you can also use ¿Dónde siente dolor? (Where do you feel pain?) or ¿En qué parte del cuerpo siente dolor? (In which part of the body do you feel pain?).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, ¿Dónde tienes molestias? translates to "Where are you feeling discomfort?"
How does it change in a sentence?
If the medical professional is speaking to a child or someone they are on familiar terms with, they would use the informal pronoun te instead of le (e.g., ¿Dónde te duele?). If the professional is addressing more than one person (for example, a group of patients or a patient and their companion), the pronoun changes to les (e.g., ¿Dónde les duele?).
Did you know?
- While doler describes physical pain, Spanish speakers use the same verb to express emotional heartache, such as saying me duele el corazón when they are grieving or sad.
- The word le in the phrase is a descendant of the Latin illī, which served as the dative form of ille meaning 'that one'.
- Because doler works like 'to please', you can actually say Me duele la cabeza instead of Me duele mi cabeza. Using 'my' is redundant because the person is already identified by the pronoun.
Examples in context
- Me duele aquí.It hurts me here.
Example conversation
A doctor is examining a patient in a clinic.
- ElenaHola, soy la doctora Elena. ¿Dónde le duele?Hello, I am Doctor Elena. Where does it hurt?
- MateoMe duele mucho la espalda, doctora.My back hurts a lot, doctor.
- ElenaEntiendo, Mateo. Voy a revisarlo ahora.I understand, Mateo. I am going to examine you now.
- MateoMuchas gracias, doctora.Thank you very much, doctor.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dónde, le, CC BY-SA 4.0.
