Spanish · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 29
El cuerpo y la saludThe body and health
Body and health vocabulary: el cuerpo (body), la cabeza (head), el estómago (stomach), la garganta (throat), la mano (hand), el pie (foot), doler (to hurt), la fiebre (fever), la tos (cough), el médico (doctor). Key grammar: "doler" works backwards, like "gustar": the thing that hurts is the subject and the person is a pronoun — "Me duele la cabeza" (= my head hurts). With plural parts, "duelen": "Me duelen los pies" (my feet hurt). And with body parts you use the article (la, el), NOT the possessive: "Me duele la cabeza", not "mi cabeza". For symptoms use "tener": "Tengo fiebre" (I have a fever), "Tengo tos" (I have a cough). English speakers calque "my head hurts" → "Mi cabeza duele" ✗ → "Me duele la cabeza" ✓.
Dialogue
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¿Qué te duele?— What hurts?
- LucíaNo tienes buena cara. ¿Qué te pasa?You don't look well. What's wrong?
- MikeMi cabeza duele y mi estómago duele.My head hurts and my stomach hurts. (slip: doler is backwards and uses the article — "Me duele la cabeza y me duele el estómago")
- LucíaCon "doler" no dices "mi cabeza": "Me duele la cabeza".With "doler" you don't say "mi cabeza": "Me duele la cabeza".
- MikeAh, me duele la cabeza y me duele el estómago. Tengo fiebre.Ah, my head hurts and my stomach hurts. I have a fever.
Dialogue
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En el médico— At the doctor
- MédicaBuenos días. ¿Qué le duele?Good morning. What hurts?
- CarlosMe duele la garganta y tengo tos.My throat hurts and I have a cough.
- Médica¿Tiene fiebre? ¿Le duelen las manos o los pies?Do you have a fever? Do your hands or feet hurt?
- CarlosTengo un poco de fiebre, pero las manos no me duelen.I have a slight fever, but my hands do not hurt.
- MédicaBien. Descanse y beba mucha agua.Good. Rest and drink lots of water.
Vocabulary
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- el cuerpo
nounbody
- la cabeza
nounhead
- el estómago
nounstomach
- la garganta
nounthroat
- la mano
nounhand
- el pie
nounfoot
- doler
verbto hurt (me duele)
- la fiebre
nounfever
- la tos
nouncough
- el médico
noundoctor
Grammar
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The verb "doler" and body parts
Explanation
"Doler" (to cause pain) works like "gustar", backwards: the part that hurts is the SUBJECT and the person is a pronoun (me/te/le): "Me duele la cabeza" = "my head causes me pain". If one part hurts → "duele" ("Me duele el pie", my foot hurts); if several hurt → "duelen" ("Me duelen los pies", my feet hurt). Two warnings: (1) with body parts you use the ARTICLE, not the possessive: "Me duele la cabeza", never "me duele mi cabeza". (2) English speakers calque "my head hurts" and say "Mi cabeza duele" ✗ → "Me duele la cabeza" ✓. For other symptoms use "tener": "Tengo fiebre" (I have a fever), "Tengo tos" (I have a cough). And to go to the doctor: "Me duele la garganta, voy al médico" (my throat hurts, I am going to the doctor).
Examples
- Me duele la cabeza.My head hurts.
- Me duelen los pies.My feet hurt.
- Tengo fiebre y tos.I have a fever and a cough.
- Me duele la garganta. Voy al médico.My throat hurts. I am going to the doctor.
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