Say Me duele aquí, Tengo fiebre desde ayer, and ¿Tienen algo para el dolor de cabeza? for the pain, the fever, and the pharmacy.
- Me duele aquí. — It hurts here.
- Tengo fiebre desde ayer. — I’ve had a fever since yesterday.
- ¿Tienen algo para el dolor de cabeza? — Do you have something for a headache?
In an emergency in Spain, call 112. These lines are not medical advice.
Tell the doctor
Doler works like gustar: the body part is the subject. One part takes duele, more than one takes duelen (the o→ue stem change). Use the article, not mi: la cabeza, el estómago, los oídos. Me is who feels it, the same object pronoun as in the object pronoun drills.
- Me duele la cabeza. — My head hurts.
- Me duele la garganta. — My throat hurts.
- Me duele el estómago. — My stomach hurts.
- Me duelen los oídos. — My ears hurt.
- Me duelen los pies. — My feet hurt.
Tener plus a noun stays in the present, with no article: tengo fiebre, tengo tos, tengo náuseas, tengo dolor de cabeza. Tengo is the yo form. Desde ayer names the day it started. Desde hace dos días names how long it has lasted. Where English says “I’ve had,” Spanish keeps tengo.
- Tengo fiebre desde hace dos días. — I’ve had a fever for two days.
- Tengo tos. — I have a cough.
- Tengo náuseas. — I feel nauseous.
- Estoy mareado. — I feel dizzy or queasy. (a man)
- Estoy mareada. — I feel dizzy or queasy. (a woman)
- Soy alérgico a la penicilina. — I’m allergic to penicillin. (a man)
- Soy alérgica a la penicilina. — I’m allergic to penicillin. (a woman)
- Necesito ver a un médico. — I need to see a doctor.
- Quería pedir cita. — I’d like to make an appointment.
Mareado/mareada and alérgico/alérgica match your gender. Tengo mareos does not change, because mareos is a noun. Ver a un médico uses a because a doctor is a person. At the centro de salud desk, quería means I’d like to. We drill duele and tengo until they stick.
Pro tip: Point, then say line 1.
At the pharmacy
In Spain a pharmacy shows a green cross. ¿Tienen…? addresses the staff (ustedes). ¿Me puede…? is usted, and recomendar stays an infinitive.
- ¿Me puede recomendar algo para la garganta? — Can you recommend something for my throat?
Try it now:
Cover the English. Say Me duele aquí. and Tengo fiebre desde ayer.
Then ask ¿Tienen algo para el dolor de cabeza?
Type duele and tengo in VerbPal.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it me duele la cabeza and not me duelo la cabeza?
The body part is the subject. Cabeza is singular, so the form is duele. Oídos and pies are plural, so the form is duelen. Me names who feels the pain. Use la, el, los, or las for the body part, not mi.
Do I use a past tense for a fever that started yesterday?
Keep the present while it is still going on. Say Tengo fiebre desde ayer for a starting point, and Tengo fiebre desde hace dos días for a length of time. Both use tengo, the yo form of tener.