Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Pain in Spanish: Dolor, Pena & Sufrimiento
Dolor · noun (masculine) · doh-LOHR
Pain in Spanish is dolor for physical and general pain. It is masculine (el dolor) and pairs with body parts: dolor de cabeza (headache), dolor de estómago (stomachache). For emotional pain, pena (grief) and sufrimiento (suffering) are more precise.
doh-LOHR — two syllables with stress on the second. The r is lightly tapped, not rolled.
Tengo un dolor fuerte en la espalda.
I have a strong pain in my back.
Pain in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for pain, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| dolor | pain | doh-LOHR | Default, widely understood |
| sufrimiento | pain | emotional suffering or anguish | |
| pena | pain | emotional pain, grief, sorrow |
How Native Speakers Use Dolor
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Physical pain
El dolor de muelas no me deja dormir.
The toothache won't let me sleep.
Dolor de + body part is the standard pattern for describing where it hurts.
At the doctor
En una escala del uno al diez, ¿cómo califica su dolor?
On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?
Medical professionals use dolor universally for the pain scale.
Emotional pain
La pena de perder a un ser querido no desaparece rápido.
The pain of losing a loved one doesn't go away quickly.
Pena covers grief and emotional sorrow — distinct from physical dolor.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Dolor
Using pena for physical pain
Incorrect: Tengo pena en la rodilla.
Correct: Tengo dolor en la rodilla.
Pena is emotional (grief, sorrow, embarrassment in Mexico). For physical pain, always use dolor.
Saying doler as a noun
Incorrect: El doler es insoportable.
Correct: El dolor es insoportable.
Doler is the verb (to hurt). Dolor is the noun (pain). They share a root but different parts of speech.
Lock in Pain Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Dolor used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using dolor in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Tengo un dolor fuerte en la espalda. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Pain in Spanish
- How do you say pain in Spanish?
- Physical pain is dolor. Emotional pain can be dolor, pena (grief), or sufrimiento (suffering), depending on the nuance you want.
- How do you say it hurts in Spanish?
- Use the verb doler: Me duele la cabeza (My head hurts). Doler works like gustar — the thing that hurts is the subject.
- What is dolor de cabeza?
- Dolor de cabeza means headache — literally pain of head. This dolor de + body part pattern works for many ailments: dolor de estómago, dolor de espalda, dolor de garganta.