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me duele

verbElementary

What does “me duele” mean in English?

  1. it hurts; my X hurts

Example sentences

  • Me duele la cabeza.

    My head hurts.

  • Me duele el brazo.

    My arm hurts.

How to use it

Me duele means 'it hurts me' or 'my X hurts'. It normally comes before a singular body part: me duele la cabeza.

Common mistake

English uses 'my head hurts'; Spanish often uses me duele la cabeza. The body part normally takes the article, not mi.

Reference

This entry’s teaching guidance follows A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish (Butt, Benjamin & Moreira Rodríguez, Routledge), 10.