Welcome to Unit 9! In this unit, you'll learn to talk about health, the body, and how you feel. Today we start with the most fundamental vocabulary — the parts of the body. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to name the main body parts and, importantly, tell someone what hurts using the verb 'doler.'
Learning tips
- The verb 'doler' works exactly like 'gustar' — the body part is the subject, not you. So 'me duele la cabeza' literally means 'the head hurts to me.'
- Use 'me duele' (singular) for one body part and 'me duelen' (plural) for multiple parts.
- Many body part words are similar to English medical terms: 'estómago' (stomach), 'brazo' (brachial).
- Practice by touching each body part and saying its name out loud in Spanish.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| la fiesta | the party |
| la invitación | the invitation |
| celebrar | to celebrate |
| el regalo | the gift |
| la sorpresa | the surprise |
| traer | to bring |
| llegar | to arrive |
| a tiempo | on time |
| divertirse | to have fun |
| feliz | happy |
Dialog
Valentina leads Andrés through a fun body-parts exercise, like a game of 'Simon Says.' Notice how she uses commands ('toca tu cabeza') and how Andrés responds by naming body parts. Pay attention to the verb 'doler' — when Andrés says 'me duele la espalda,' the structure is the same as 'me gusta': indirect object pronoun + verb + subject.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la cabeza | /ka.ˈβe.sa/ | the head | One of the most important body parts to know for doctor visits |
| el brazo | /ˈbɾa.so/ | the arm | Related to English 'brachial' |
| la pierna | /ˈpjeɾ.na/ | the leg | From knee to hip |
| la mano | /ˈma.no/ | the hand | Note: 'la mano' is feminine despite ending in -o — one of the few exceptions |
| el pie | /ˈpje/ | the foot | Plural: los pies |
| el estómago | /es.ˈto.ma.ɣo/ | the stomach | Used for general stomach/belly area |
| la espalda | /es.ˈpal.da/ | the back | Very useful when describing pain |
| el ojo | /ˈo.xo/ | the eye | Plural: los ojos |
| la boca | /ˈbo.ka/ | the mouth | Used at doctor visits: 'abra la boca' |
| el oído | /o.ˈi.ðo/ | the ear (inner ear) | 'El oído' is the inner ear/hearing; 'la oreja' is the outer ear |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el dedo | /ˈde.ðo/ | the finger / toe | 'El dedo de la mano' = finger; 'el dedo del pie' = toe |
| la rodilla | /ro.ˈði.ʝa/ | the knee | |
| el hombro | /ˈom.bɾo/ | the shoulder | |
| el cuello | /ˈkwe.ʝo/ | the neck | |
| el pecho | /ˈpe.tʃo/ | the chest | |
| la nariz | /na.ˈɾis/ | the nose |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| me duele | it hurts me (singular) |
| me duelen | they hurt me (plural) |
Grammar: Verb 'doler' — me duele la cabeza, me duelen los pies
| Subject | doler (singular) | doler (plural) |
|---|---|---|
| a mí | me duele | me duelen |
| a ti | te duele | te duelen |
| a usted / él / ella | le duele | le duelen |
| a nosotros | nos duele | nos duelen |
| a ellos / ellas | les duele | les duelen |
The verb doler (to hurt/ache) works exactly like gustar. The body part that hurts is the grammatical subject, and the person who feels the pain is expressed with an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, les).
Singular (one body part): Me duele la cabeza. (My head hurts.)
Plural (multiple body parts): Me duelen los pies. (My feet hurt.)
The verb only has two forms you need: duele (singular) and duelen (plural). What changes is the pronoun:
- me duele = it hurts me
- te duele = it hurts you
- le duele = it hurts him/her/you (formal)
- nos duele = it hurts us
- les duele = it hurts them
To ask: ¿Te duele algo? (Does something hurt?) or ¿Qué te duele? (What hurts?)
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing body part word.
- Me duele la . (head)(the body part on top of your neck)
- Levanto el derecho. (arm)(the limb from shoulder to hand)
- Toca tu con la mano. (leg)(the limb from hip to foot)
- Me duele el . (stomach)(where food goes)
- Abre la y cierra los . (mouth / eyes)(you speak with it / you see with them)
Grammar Application
Fill in the correct form of 'doler' or the correct indirect object pronoun.
- My head hurts → Me la cabeza.(singular — one body part hurts)
- My feet hurt → Me los pies.(plural — multiple body parts hurt)
- His back hurts → duele la espalda.(pronoun for 'him/her')
- Our ears hurt → duelen los oídos.(pronoun for 'us')
- Does your stomach hurt? → ¿ duele el estómago?(pronoun for 'you' informal)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- My head hurts.
- I raise my arm.
- My eyes hurt.
- Touch your leg with your hand.
- My back and stomach hurt.
Creative Construction
Write sentences describing what hurts, using body parts and the verb 'doler.' Try to use at least 3 body part words in each sentence.
Takeaway
Use 'me duele + singular body part' and 'me duelen + plural body parts' to say what hurts. The structure is the same as 'gustar' — the body part is the subject!