🧍 Body Parts - Partes del cuerpo
Beginner Spanish · Body parts and everyday discomfort
Body Parts in Spanish
Body vocabulary becomes much more useful when you can say what hurts, talk about washing or brushing, and describe simple physical features. Start with a compact set of body parts, then put them into everyday phrases.
Your next small win: name common body parts, say what hurts, use the usual articles with body parts, and talk about basic body care.
Start with common body parts
Body Parts You Will Use Often
These words are enough to build useful beginner phrases about pain, hygiene, and physical features.
Head
Eye
Outer ear
Nose
Mouth
Tooth
Hand
Arm
Back
Leg
Knee
Foot
Important exception: mano is feminine even though it ends in -o. Say la mano and las manos.
Name three body parts
Say “head, hands, and feet” in Spanish.
Cabeza, manos y pies.
More body parts
Face
Tongue
Finger
Shoulder
Neck
Chest
Heart
Ankle
Toe
Stomach / belly
Say what hurts
Me Duele and Me Duelen
Spanish changes the verb according to whether one body part hurts or multiple body parts hurt.
One thing hurts: me duele
My head hurts.
My back hurts.
My knee hurts.
My leg hurts after running.
Multiple things hurt: me duelen
My feet hurt.
My arms hurt after the gym.
My feet hurt after walking all day.
Simple rule: use duele with one body part and duelen with plural body parts.
Talking about pain
What's wrong?
My head hurts.
Choose the correct form
Say that your feet hurt.
Me duelen los pies.
Use body parts in daily routines
Body Parts and Personal Care
Spanish often uses a definite article such as el, la, los, or las with body parts instead of repeating a possessive word.
I wash my hands.
I need to brush my teeth.
I brush my teeth before going to sleep.
Wash your hands well before eating.
Notice the articles: las manos, los dientes, and la cabeza. The reflexive verb already helps show whose body part is involved.
Talk about your routine
Say that you wash your hands and brush your teeth.
Me lavo las manos.
Me cepillo los dientes.
Oreja and oído
Oreja usually refers to the visible outer ear. Oído is commonly used when talking about hearing or the inner ear.
I can't hear well through this ear.
Describe simple physical features
Using Tener with Body Features
The verb tener is useful for describing features such as eye color or the condition of your hands.
I have blue eyes.
My hands are cold.
After exercising
Do your legs hurt?
Yes, I ran a lot this morning.
Put the ideas together
Say that you have blue eyes and that your hands are cold.
Tengo los ojos azules.
Tengo las manos frías.
More body phrases in context
The heart beats faster when I am nervous.
My leg hurts after running.
Your turn · 8 quick questions
Practice: Body Parts
Choose the answer that fits each situation. Focus on body vocabulary, duele versus duelen, articles, and everyday body-care phrases.
Practice complete
You can talk about common body parts and simple discomfort.
A few body phrases to revisit
One last step: describe a situation without choices.
Name one body part that hurts, one body-care action, and one simple physical feature.
Me duele la espalda.
Me lavo las manos.
Tengo los ojos azules.
Someone asks what is wrong. Your head hurts. What do you say?
- Me duele la cabeza.
- Me duele la espalda.
- Me duelen los pies.
- Tengo las manos frías.
La cabeza is singular, so the phrase uses me duele.
Me duele la cabeza.
Your feet hurt after walking all day. Which sentence fits?
- Me duelen los pies.
- Me duele el pie.
- Me duelen los brazos.
- Me duele la rodilla.
Los pies is plural, so use me duelen.
Me duelen los pies.
Only your back hurts. Which sentence uses the correct singular pattern?
- Me duele la espalda.
- Me duelen los pies.
- Me duelen los brazos.
- Me duele la rodilla.
La espalda is one body part, so use me duele.
Me duele la espalda.
Which article pattern is correct with mano?
- la mano / las manos
- el mano / los manos
- la mano / los manos
- el mano / las manos
Mano is feminine despite ending in -o, so use la mano and las manos.
la mano / las manos
You need to brush your teeth. Which phrase follows the body-part pattern taught in the lesson?
- Necesito cepillarme los dientes.
- Necesito lavarme las manos.
- Necesito mover los brazos.
- Necesito descansar las piernas.
The lesson uses the reflexive verb with the definite article: cepillarme los dientes.
Necesito cepillarme los dientes.
You are talking about the visible outer ear. Which word fits?
- oreja
- oído
- cuello
- cara
Oreja normally refers to the visible outer ear. Oído is commonly used for hearing or the inner ear.
oreja = outer ear
You have blue eyes. Which sentence matches?
- Tengo los ojos azules.
- Tengo las manos frías.
- Me duele la cabeza.
- Me duelen las piernas.
Tengo los ojos azules describes eye color with tener.
Tengo los ojos azules.
You want to say that you wash your hands. Which sentence fits?
- Me lavo las manos.
- Me cepillo los dientes.
- Me duele la mano.
- Tengo las manos frías.
Me lavo las manos means “I wash my hands” and uses the usual definite article with the body part.
Me lavo las manos.