Spanish vocabulary · Intermediate
How to Say Sore in Spanish: Adolorido, Llaga & More
Adolorido · adjective / noun · ah-doh-loh-REE-doh
Sore in Spanish has different translations depending on usage. As an adjective meaning achy, use adolorido or dolorido. For a sore throat, use dolor de garganta or garganta irritada. As a noun (a sore/wound), the word is llaga or úlcera. The choice depends on whether sore describes a feeling or a visible lesion.
ah-doh-loh-REE-doh — five syllables, stress on the fourth. The root is dolor (pain), making it literally pained or aching.
Tengo los músculos adoloridos después del ejercicio.
My muscles are sore after exercising.
Sore in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for sore, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| adolorido | sore | ah-doh-loh-REE-doh | Default, widely understood |
| dolorido | sore | equally common variant | |
| llaga | sore | noun: a sore/wound | |
| irritado | sore | sore/irritated (throat, skin) |
How Native Speakers Use Adolorido
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Muscle soreness
Estoy muy adolorido por el entrenamiento de ayer.
I'm very sore from yesterday's workout.
Adolorido describes the general aching feeling after physical exertion.
Sore throat
Tengo la garganta irritada y no puedo tragar bien.
I have a sore throat and can't swallow well.
For sore throat, Spanish uses dolor de garganta or garganta irritada rather than adolorida.
A sore/wound
Le salió una llaga en el labio por el frío.
A sore appeared on her lip from the cold.
Llaga is a noun meaning a sore, ulcer, or open wound on the skin or mucous membrane.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Adolorido
Using sore as a noun directly
Incorrect: Tengo un adolorido en la boca.
Correct: Tengo una llaga en la boca.
Adolorido is an adjective (feeling sore). A physical sore (lesion) is una llaga or una úlcera.
Saying doloroso when meaning sore/achy
Incorrect: Mis piernas están dolorosas.
Correct: Mis piernas están adoloridas / doloridas.
Doloroso means painful (causing pain to others). Adolorido/dolorido means sore (experiencing pain). The distinction is between causing and feeling pain.
Lock in Sore 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 Adolorido used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using adolorido in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Tengo los músculos adoloridos después del ejercicio. 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 Sore in Spanish
- How do you say sore in Spanish?
- As an adjective (achy): adolorido or dolorido. As a noun (a wound/lesion): llaga or úlcera. For sore throat specifically: dolor de garganta.
- What is the difference between adolorido and dolorido?
- They mean the same thing — sore or aching. Adolorido is slightly more common in Latin America; dolorido is equally valid everywhere. Both derive from dolor (pain).
- How do you say sore throat in Spanish?
- Sore throat is dolor de garganta (throat pain) or garganta irritada (irritated throat). Me duele la garganta (my throat hurts) is the most natural way to express it.