New here? This is lesson 109 of a free 240-lesson German course.
Where it hurts in German
Priya's cold has landed. She pushes into Bäckerei Krause looking rough, and Jule is already at a table.
Anton offers his untouched Milchkaffee as medicine. Renate just points her upstairs to Dr. Albrecht.
By the end, you'll name where it hurts: head, stomach, back, and throat.
You'll also point and say it hurts here, and say you feel sick.
By the end of this lesson
Name body parts and say where it hurts.
- Mir tut der Kopf weh.My head hurts.
- Ich habe Bauchschmerzen.I've got a stomachache.
- Mein Rücken tut weh.My back hurts.
- Ich habe Halsschmerzen.I've got a sore throat.
- Hier tut es weh.It hurts here.
- Mir ist schlecht.I feel sick.
Scene — a rough morning
Jule is at a table with her headphones down. Priya looks pale in the doorway, a hand on her backpack strap.
Anton has not touched his Milchkaffee. Renate is already glancing at the stairs up to the Praxis.
Learn — head, throat, back
Six short lines name the head, stomach, back, and throat, plus a way to point.
You'll also say you feel sick, without a body part.
Mir tut der Kopf weh.
My head hurts.
When to use it: Say this when your head hurts.
The prefix weh stands at the end of the clause.
Ich habe Bauchschmerzen.
I've got a stomachache.
When to use it: Say this when your stomach hurts.
Use habe plus this pain word, not the weh pattern.
Say it: Bauchschmerzen puts the stress on the first syllable.
Mein Rücken tut weh.
My back hurts.
When to use it: Say this when your back hurts.
Mein marks that it is your back.
Say it: The ü in Rücken is a tight rounded ee.
Ich habe Halsschmerzen.
I've got a sore throat.
When to use it: Say this when your throat hurts.
Halsschmerzen is one word for pain in the throat.
Hier tut es weh.
It hurts here.
When to use it: Point to the spot as you say this.
Use this when you show the place, not the body-part name.
Mir ist schlecht.
I feel sick.
When to use it: Say this when you feel sick or queasy.
Mir comes first when you say how you feel.
Say it: Schlecht starts with sch, like English sh.
Story — coffee is not medicine
Watch Priya tell Jule where it hurts. Anton offers coffee. Renate sends her upstairs.
The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.
- Late morning. Priya holds the door. Jule looks up from her phone.
JuleGeht's dir gut?Are you okay?
PriyaMir tut der Kopf weh.My head hurts.- JuleOh nein!Oh no!
- Priya touches her throat and swallows.
- JuleUnd der Hals?And your throat?
- PriyaIch habe Halsschmerzen.I've got a sore throat.
- Anton slides his cup toward her. He stays seated.
AntonTrink das mal.Drink this.- PriyaMir ist schlecht.I feel sick.
- AntonWo genau?Where exactly?
- PriyaHier tut es weh.It hurts here.
- JuleAuch der Bauch?Your stomach too?
- PriyaIch habe Bauchschmerzen.I've got a stomachache.
- JuleUnd der Rücken?And your back?
- PriyaMein Rücken tut weh.My back hurts.
- Renate nods at the stairs up to the Praxis.
RenateGeh mal hoch zur Praxis.Go on up to the doctor's office.- JuleDas tut mir leid.I'm sorry to hear that.
Practice — name the spot
You'll hear the pain lines, match them, fill a gap, and swap one body part.
One listen-pick is in the mix. Keep the weh and Schmerzen lines apart.
0 of 11 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
German
Mir tut der Kopf weh.Drop the English hereIch habe Bauchschmerzen.Drop the English hereIch habe Halsschmerzen.Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
Your throat hurts. Tell a friend.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
I've got a stomachache.
Ich habe ____.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Hier tut es weh.
Swap the word
Swap the word
You want to say your back hurts, not your head.
Mein ____ tut weh.
Pick the reply
Jule says:
Pick the reply
Geht's dir gut?
Are you okay?
And you reply with:
Build the line
Build the line
My head hurts.
.
Tap the words in order.
True or false?
True or false?
You use this with a doctor you have just met.
What do you say?
What do you say?
A friend just told you she feels sick. Show you are sorry to hear that.
Which one doesn’t belong?
Which one doesn’t belong?
Say it — tell them where
Now you're Priya with a cold at the bakery. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.
Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.
- JuleGeht's dir gut?Are you okay?
- Priya (you)Tell her your head hurts.
Tell her your head hurts.
Mir tut der Kopf weh.
My head hurts.
0 of 6 said
Recap — what you can say now
| German | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Mir tut der Kopf weh. | My head hurts. | |
| Ich habe Bauchschmerzen. | I've got a stomachache. | |
| Mein Rücken tut weh. | My back hurts. | |
| Ich habe Halsschmerzen. | I've got a sore throat. | |
| Hier tut es weh. | It hurts here. | |
| Mir ist schlecht. | I feel sick. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want to keep these pain lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps the body words ready for the Praxis.
Open Yak Cards