A2 vocabulary guide
Spanish body parts: describe what hurts or where
Body-part vocabulary can help with clothing, exercise and describing a sensation. This is a language guide, not medical advice: if you need care, use these words to communicate with a qualified professional and follow their guidance.
Start with the pattern
Words are easier to keep when they make sense.
Many body parts are masculine or feminine nouns and should be learned with an article. For pain, a common frame is me duele + singular body part and me duelen + plural body parts: Me duele la cabeza; me duelen los pies. The body part is the grammatical subject, while me indicates the person experiencing the pain.
For a simple location or description, use en and a body part: Tengo una marca en el brazo. Do not assume English possessive patterns transfer directly; Spanish often uses the definite article with body parts when the owner is clear from a pronoun or context.
Hear it in a sentence
Examples in everyday Spanish
Me duele la cabeza después de tantas horas delante del ordenador.
My head hurts after so many hours in front of the computer.
The literal structure is “the head hurts me.”
Se ha hecho una pequeña herida en la mano.
They have a small cut on their hand.
Me duelen las rodillas al subir las escaleras.
My knees hurt when I climb the stairs.
Lleva una bufanda alrededor del cuello.
They are wearing a scarf around their neck.
Listen for the local detail
A note on Spanish in Spain
- Oreja usually means the external ear; oído can refer to hearing or the inner ear, depending on context.
- For urgent or serious symptoms, seek appropriate local medical help. Vocabulary examples here support communication but do not assess symptoms.
Look out for
Common mistakes, made clearer
Avoid
Mi cabeza duele me.
Use / understand
Me duele la cabeza.
The experiencer pronoun comes before the verb; the body part is the grammatical subject.
Avoid
Me duele los pies.
Use / understand
Me duelen los pies.
The verb agrees with plural pies.
Avoid
El mano.
Use / understand
La mano.
Mano is a common feminine noun ending in -o.
Five quick checks
Try it before you peek.
- 01
Complete: Me ___ la garganta. (It hurts.)
Reveal answer and explanation
duele.
Garganta is singular, so use duele.
- 02
Complete: Me ___ los hombros.
Reveal answer and explanation
duelen.
Hombros is plural, so the verb is duelen.
- 03
What is the gender of mano?
Reveal answer and explanation
Feminine: la mano.
This is an important exception to the -o pattern.
- 04
Translate “my back hurts” using the usual Spanish construction.
Reveal answer and explanation
Me duele la espalda.
Spanish commonly uses the definite article with body parts.
- 05
How can you specify a finger rather than a toe?
Reveal answer and explanation
El dedo de la mano.
Dedo can mean finger or toe; add the location for clarity.
Still wondering
Questions about spanish body parts: describe what hurts or where
How do I say that something hurts in Spanish?
Use me duele with a singular noun and me duelen with a plural noun: Me duele el brazo; me duelen las piernas. This is language help, not medical advice.
Why does Spanish say la cabeza rather than mi cabeza?
When the person experiencing the sensation is clear from the pronoun me, Spanish commonly uses the definite article with the body part. Possessives are possible when emphasis or contrast calls for them.
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