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Lesson 41 of 238

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Free Spanish CourseLesson 41 of 238

My head hurts in Spanish

Justin is at Café Laurel with Michael and Yako. He has a headache, but it isn't an emergency.

You'll learn to say what hurts, ask someone about a sore body part, and reassure them that you're okay.

These short lines help you explain an everyday ache. Yako has a complaint too, although his paper napkin may be the real problem.

By the end of this lesson

Say which body part hurts, ask someone what hurts, and say you're okay.

  • Me duele la cabezaMy head hurts
  • Me duele el estómagoMy stomach hurts
  • Me duele ___My ___ hurts
  • ¿Te duele ___?Does your ___ hurt?
  • Estoy bienI'm okay

Scene — A headache and a napkin

It's afternoon at Café Laurel. Justin rests a hand against his forehead while Michael checks on him.

Yako, the brown yak, sits on two chairs with a paper napkin draped over one horn.

Justin rests a hand against his forehead while Michael checks on him and Yako sits nearby with a paper napkin draped over one horn.

Learn — Say what hurts

There are five lines to learn. Tap ▶ and say each one out loud.

For the blanks, name one body part. Start with your head or stomach.

  1. Justin indicates a mild headache by pressing his fingertips to his forehead as he speaks.

    Me duele la cabeza

    My head hurts

    When to use it: Say this when you have a headache.

    La cabeza means the head. Keep la in this line.

    Say it: Duele sounds like DWEH-leh.

  2. Justin places a hand over his stomach while speaking with a mildly uncomfortable expression.

    Me duele el estómago

    My stomach hurts

    When to use it: Say this when your stomach aches.

    El estómago means the stomach.

    Say it: Stress TÓ in estómago: ehs-TOH-mah-goh.

  3. Yako theatrically claims discomfort while pointing to the paper napkin draped over his horn.

    Me duele ___

    My ___ hurts

    When to use it: Name one body part that hurts.

    Fill the blank with la cabeza, el estómago, or el brazo, meaning the arm.

  4. Michael asks Justin about his headache with an open questioning gesture toward Justin’s forehead.

    ¿Te duele ___?

    Does your ___ hurt?

    When to use it: Ask a friend whether a particular body part hurts.

    Use me for your own pain and te to ask about your friend's pain.

  5. Justin smiles reassuringly and gives a thumbs-up while Yako lifts the napkin off his unharmed horn.

    Estoy bien

    I'm okay

    When to use it: Reassure someone who is worried about you.

    You can say this even with a small ache that isn't serious.

Story — Yako's horn problem

Watch how Justin names his ache but reassures Michael. Yako's complaint needs a closer look.

Follow the highlighted lines, and use Show English if you need help.

  1. Michael¿Cómo estás?How are you?
  2. JustinMe duele la cabeza.My head hurts.
  3. JustinEstoy bien.I'm okay.
  4. Michael rubs his own stomach; he has a small ache too.
  5. MichaelMe duele el estómago.My stomach hurts.
  6. YakoMe siento mal.I feel awful.
  7. Yako points dramatically at his napkin-covered horn.
  8. Justin¿Te duele el cuerno?Does your horn hurt?
  9. YakoMe duele el cuerno.My horn hurts.
  10. Justin¿El cuerno?Your horn?
  11. Yako lifts the napkin. His horn looks perfectly fine.
  12. YakoEs solo la servilleta. Estoy bien.It's only the napkin. I'm okay.

Practice — Head, stomach, or horn?

Try nine exercises that mix listening, matching, and choosing what to say.

Keep trying or use the skip button. Each explanation helps you understand the answer.

0 of 9 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    Me duele el estómagoDrop the English here
    Estoy bienDrop the English here
    Me siento malDrop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Spanish, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    Your arm aches. Choose the line you can fill with el brazo to explain your own pain.

  4. What does it mean?

    ¿Cómo estás?

  5. Fill the gap

    My head hurts

    Me duele la ____

  6. What do you say?

    Yako points at his horn. Choose the question you can fill with el cuerno to ask whether it hurts.

  7. True or false?

    This line says you feel awful without naming a body part.

  8. Build the line

    My stomach hurts

    Tap the words in order.

  9. Build the line

    I'm okay

    Tap the words in order.

Say it — Check on Yako

You play Justin, and Michael speaks first. Tap the microphone to answer, or tap ▶ for the model line.

Your recording stays on your device. Use the skip button whenever you need to.

  1. Michael¿Cómo estás?How are you?
  2. Justin (you)Tell Michael your head hurts.

    Me duele la cabeza

    My head hurts

0 of 3 said

Recap — what you can say now

SpanishEnglish
Me duele la cabezaMy head hurts
Me duele el estómagoMy stomach hurts
Me duele ___My ___ hurts
¿Te duele ___?Does your ___ hurt?
Estoy bienI'm okay
Next: lesson 42What color is it

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Keep these everyday ache lines handy with your Yak Cards.

Practice naming your head, stomach, and arm. Leave the horn complaints to Yako.

Open Yak Cards