Spanish · A1 · Family moment
A Little Ouch in Spanish
Help your child describe their physical discomfort in Spanish using the verb 'doler' (to hurt) and basic body parts. This guide focuses on simple questions to help you understand where they are feeling 'ouchies'.
What you'll learn
- Ask 'where does it hurt?' naturally
- Identify common body parts in Spanish
- Learn the correct grammar for expressing pain (using 'the' instead of 'your')
Spanish phrases for a little ouch
¿Dónde te duele?
Where does it hurt?
Literally translates to 'Where to-you it-hurts?'
¿Te duele la cabeza?
Does your head hurt?
Note that Spanish uses 'la' (the) rather than 'tu' (your) for body parts.
¿Te duele la barriga?
Does your tummy hurt?
'Barriga' is a common, child-friendly word for tummy or belly.
¿Te duele la rodilla?
Does your knee hurt?
'Rodilla' is pronounced 'ro-dee-ya'.
¿Te duele el pie?
Does your foot hurt?
'El pie' refers to a single foot.
¿Te duele el brazo?
Does your arm hurt?
'Brazo' sounds like 'bra-so'.
¿Te duele la espalda?
Does your back hurt?
'Espalda' refers to the whole back.
¿Te duele el diente flojo?
Does your loose tooth hurt?
'Flojo' means loose or limp in this context.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
doler
to hurt
This verb changes its stem from 'o' to 'ue' (duele).
la panza
tummy
A very common synonym for 'barriga' used with children.
el pupu
an ouchie
Informal slang used by children in some regions for a minor injury.
sana, sana
heal, heal
Part of a famous rhyme parents say to comfort children: 'Sana, sana, colita de rana'.
Using the Verb 'Doler'
In Spanish, we don't say 'my head hurts.' We say 'The head hurts to me.' We use indirect object pronouns (me, te) and the definite article (el, la).
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| To you (singular) | ¿Te duele + the body part? | ¿Te duele la mano? |
| To me (singular) | Me duele + the body part | Me duele el dedo. |
| Plural parts | Duele changes to Duelen | Me duelen los pies. |
More examples
Pobrecito, ¿te duele mucho?
Poor thing, does it hurt a lot?
Use 'Pobrecita' for a girl.
Muéstrame dónde te duele.
Show me where it hurts.
A helpful command when the child is crying and cannot speak well.
Ya pasó, ya no duele.
It's over now, it doesn't hurt anymore.
A comforting phrase to say after a quick scrape or bump.