Conjugating verbs in Spanish can initially seem daunting, but with a little practice, it becomes second nature. Among the essential verbs to learn is “doler,” which means “to hurt” or “to ache.” Knowing how to conjugate doler in Spanish is vital for expressing physical or emotional pain, making it a fundamental component of everyday conversation. This article aims to demystify the process, offering clear guidance for those looking to master its conjugation.
Understanding how to conjugate doler in Spanish involves recognizing its peculiarities compared to regular verbs. Doler is an -ER verb; however, it behaves differently because it is used primarily in its reflexive form and follows a similar conjugation pattern to verbs like “gustar.” This means mastering its use requires learning its unique conjugation rules.
This guide will navigate through the nuances of conjugating doler across different tenses, including present, past, and future, to ensure comprehensive coverage. With focus and practice, readers will find themselves confidently using “doler” in various contexts, enhancing their Spanish fluency and conversational skills.
Doler Conjugation Chart in Spanish
The verb doler (to hurt/pain) is an unusual verb because it is primarily used in the third persons (singular and plural) much like the verb gustar. It is not commonly used in the first, second person singular, or the first person plural unless in very specific contexts, so those forms will be marked as N/A (not applicable) for practical purposes. However, for the sake of completeness, I will provide the technically accurate conjugation for all persons. Since doler is most frequently used with parts of the body as the subject and the person experiencing the pain as an indirect object, its conjugation pattern in normal usage will reflect this specificity.
| Personal Pronoun | Presente | Pretérito | Imperfecto | Futuro | Condicional | Presente Subjuntivo | Imperfecto Subjunto | Imperativo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | (me) duelo | (me) dolí | (me) dolía | (me) doleré | (me) dolería | (me) duela | (me) doliera o (me) doliese | N/A |
| Tú | (te) dueles | (te) doliste | (te) dolías | (te) dolerás | (te) dolerías | (te) duelas | (te) dolieras o (te) dolieses | N/A |
| Él/Ella/Usted | (le) duele | (le) dolió | (le) dolía | (le) dolerá | (le) dolería | (le) duela | (le) doliera o (le) doliese | (le) duela |
| Nosotros | (nos) duele | (nos) dolió | (nos) dolíamos | (nos) doleremos | (nos) doleríamos | (nos) duela | (nos) doliéramos o (nos) doliésemos | (nos) duela |
| Vosotros | (os) doléis | (os) dolisteis | (os) dolíais | (os) doleréis | (os) doleríais | (os) doláis | (os) dolierais o (os) dolieseis | (os) doler |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | (les) duele | (les) dolió | (les) dolían | (les) dolerán | (les) dolerían | (les) duela | (les) dolieran o (les) doliesen | (les) duela |
It’s important to note that while technically possible, many of these forms are not commonly used. For example, when someone says “Me duele la cabeza,” it’s understood as “My head hurts.” The person is not actively performing the action of hurting, rather they’re experiencing pain, which is why doler is often compared to verbs like gustar in terms of syntactical construction.
Doler Conjugation Present Tense – Presente
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | duelo | Me duelo la cabeza. | My head hurts. |
| tú | dueles | Te duele la espalda? | Does your back hurt? |
| él/ella/usted | duele | Le duele el estómago. | His/her/your stomach hurts. |
| nosotros/nosotras | dolemos | Nos duelen los pies. | Our feet hurt. |
| vosotros/vosotras | doléis | Os duelen las manos? | Do your hands hurt? |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | duelen | Les duelen los ojos. | Their/your eyes hurt. |
Doler Conjugation Present Perfect Tense – Pretérito Perfecto Conjugation Chart
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | he dolido | Yo he dolido mucho a mis amigos. | I have hurt my friends a lot. |
| tú | has dolido | Tú has dolido tus músculos. | You have hurt your muscles. |
| él/ella/usted | ha dolido | Ella ha dolido desde el accidente. | She has been in pain since the accident. |
| nosotros/as | hemos dolido | Nosotros hemos dolido después de la carrera. | We have been in pain after the race. |
| vosotros/as | habéis dolido | Vosotros habéis dolido vuestros pies. | You all have hurt your feet. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | han dolido | Ellos han dolido sus brazos levantando pesas. | They have hurt their arms lifting weights. |
Doler Conjugation Simple Paste Tense – Pretérito Indefinido
Here’s Doler conjugation preterite indefinido:
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | dolió | Me dolió la cabeza. | My head hurt. |
| tú | dolió | Te dolió el estómago. | Your stomach hurt. |
| él/ella | dolió | Le dolió la rodilla. | His/her knee hurt. |
| nosotros/nosotras | dolió | Nos dolió la espalda. | Our back hurt. |
| vosotros/vosotras | dolió | Os dolió la muela. | Your molar (tooth) hurt. |
| ellos/ellas | dolió | Les dolió la garganta. | Their throat hurt. |
Note: The verb doler functions similarly to the verb gustar in Spanish, in that it is primarily used in the third person singular or plural depending on the thing that causes the pain. Therefore, the table reflects the peculiarities of its usage, with the implied subject being the thing that causes pain (e.g., la cabeza, el estómago), not the person experiencing the pain. The conjugation in the preterite tense for all persons is shown as “dolió” (third-person singular) or “dolió” as a simplification, assuming a singular or collectively singular context. For plural or multiple sources of pain, “dolieron” would be used, but such distinction is nuanced considering the table’s structure.
Doler Imperfect Conjugation – Pretérito Imperfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| (tú) | | | |
| (usted) | duela | Que no le duela más. | May it hurt you no more. |
| (vosotros) | doléros | Doléros el alma con paciencia. | Endure the soul pain with patience. |
| (ustedes) | duelan | Que no les duelan las heridas. | May your wounds not hurt. |
Doler Conjugation Pluperfect/Past Perfect Tense – Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | había dolido | Yo ya había dolido mucho antes de ir al doctor. | I had already hurt a lot before going to the doctor. |
| tú | habías dolido | Tú habías dolido a tus padres con tus acciones. | You had hurt your parents with your actions. |
| él/ella/usted | había dolido | Ella había dolido su pie jugando fútbol. | She had hurt her foot playing soccer. |
| nosotros/nosotras | habíamos dolido | Nosotros habíamos dolido nuestros corazones demasiado. | We had hurt our hearts too much. |
| vosotros/vosotras | habíais dolido | Vosotros habíais dolido los sentimientos de Ana. | You had hurt Ana’s feelings. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | habían dolido | Ellos habían dolido antes de aprender la lección. | They had hurt before learning the lesson. |
Doler Conjugation Simple Future Tense – Futuro Simple
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | doleré | Yo doleré si hago ejercicio. | I will hurt if I exercise. |
| tú | dolerás | Tú dolerás después de caer. | You will hurt after falling. |
| él/ella/usted | dolerá | Él dolerá mañana. | He will hurt tomorrow. |
| nosotros/as | doleremos | Nosotros doleremos si corremos tanto. | We will hurt if we run so much. |
| vosotros/as | doleréis | Vosotros doleréis con ese entrenamiento. | You will hurt with that training. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | dolerán | Ellos dolerán tras el partido. | They will hurt after the match. |
Doler Spanish Conjugation Future Perfect Tense – Futuro Perfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | habré dolido | Para mañana por la noche, yo habré dolido mis músculos. | By tomorrow night, I will have strained my muscles. |
| tú | habrás dolido | Para cuando regreses, tú habrás dolido a tus amigos. | By the time you come back, you will have hurt your friends. |
| él/ella/usted | habrá dolido | Para el final del juego, él habrá dolido su pierna. | By the end of the game, he will have injured his leg. |
| nosotros/nosotras | habremos dolido | Nosotros habremos dolido nuestras cabezas pensando demasiado. | We will have made our heads hurt from thinking too much. |
| vosotros/vosotras | habréis dolido | Para el viernes, vosotros ya habréis dolido los sentimientos de alguien. | By Friday, you all will have already hurt someone’s feelings. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | habrán dolido | Ellos habrán dolido sus espaldas después de tanto trabajo. | They will have hurt their backs after so much work. |
Doler Conjugation Simple Conditional Tense – Condicional Simple
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | dolería | Me dolería la cabeza si no duermo. | My head would hurt if I don’t sleep. |
| tú | dolerías | Te dolerías el estómago si comes eso. | Your stomach would hurt if you eat that. |
| él/ella | dolería | Le dolería la espalda después de caer. | His/her back would hurt after falling. |
| nosotros | doleríamos | Nos dolerían los pies después de correr tanto. | Our feet would hurt after running so much. |
| vosotros | doleríais | Os dolerían los ojos de mirar la pantalla. | Your eyes would hurt from looking at the screen. |
| ellos | dolerían | Les dolerían las manos de tanto escribir. | Their hands would hurt from writing so much. |
Conjugate Doler in Spanish: Conditional Perfect Tense – Condicional Compuesto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | habría dolido | Si hubiera comido menos, no me habría dolido el estómago. | If I had eaten less, my stomach wouldn’t have ached. |
| tú | habrías dolido | ¿Te habrías dolido menos si te hubiera avisado? | Would you have felt less hurt if I had warned you? |
| él/ella/usted | habría dolido | Si se hubiera caído, se le habría dolido la rodilla. | If he/she had fallen, his/her knee would have hurt. |
| nosotros/nosotras | habríamos dolido | Nos habríamos dolido mucho si nos hubieran excluido. | We would have been very hurt if we had been excluded. |
| vosotros/vosotras | habríais dolido | Si os hubierais lastimado, os habríais dolido. | If you had hurt yourselves, you would have been in pain. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | habrían dolido | Les habrían dolido las críticas si las hubieran escuchado. | The criticism would have hurt them if they had heard it. |
Doler Conjugation Imperative Tense – Imperativo
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| (tú) | | | |
| (usted) | duela | Que no le duela más. | May it hurt you no more. |
| (vosotros) | doléros | Doléros el alma con paciencia. | Endure the soul pain with patience. |
| (ustedes) | duelan | Que no les duelan las heridas. | May your wounds not hurt. |
Doler Subjunctive Conjugation
Doler Subjunctive Conjugation Present Tense – Subjuntivo Presente
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | duela | Espero que no me duela la cabeza. | I hope my head doesn’t hurt. |
| tú | duelas | Ojalá que no te duelan los pies. | Hopefully your feet don’t hurt. |
| él/ella/usted | duela | Espero que no le duela la muela. | I hope his/her/your molar doesn’t hurt. |
| nosotros/nosotras | duela | Nos sorprendería que nos duela el estómago. | It would surprise us if our stomach hurts. |
| vosotros/vosotras | duelan | Quiero que os duelan menos las piernas. | I want your legs to hurt less. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | duelan | Es posible que les duelan los ojos. | It’s possible their/your eyes hurt. |
Doler Conjugation Present Perfect Subjunctive – Subjuntivo Pretérito Perfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | haya dolido | Me alegro de que no te haya dolido la cabeza. | I am glad that your head hasn’t hurt. |
| tú | hayas dolido | Espero que no te hayas dolido con mis palabras. | I hope my words haven’t hurt you. |
| él/ella | haya dolido | Es bueno que no le haya dolido la muela. | It’s good that his/her tooth hasn’t hurt. |
| nosotros | hayamos dolido | Nos sorprende que nos hayamos dolido tanto. | It surprises us that we have been so hurt. |
| vosotros | hayáis dolido | Ojalá no os hayáis dolido durante el juego. | I hope you guys haven’t been hurt during the game. |
| ellos | hayan dolido | Me preocupa que se hayan dolido en la práctica. | I’m worried they have been hurt during practice. |
Doler Conjugation Imperfect Subjunctive – Subjuntivo Pretérito Imperfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | doliera | Me alegraba que a ti no te doliera la cabeza. | I was glad that your head did not hurt. |
| tú | dolieras | Si tú dolieras del estómago, te llevaría al médico. | If you had a stomachache, I would take you to the doctor. |
| él/ella | doliera | Era posible que él doliera después del golpe. | It was possible that he was in pain after the hit. |
| nosotros | doliéramos | Querían que nosotros no doliéramos después de la carrera. | They wanted us not to be in pain after the race. |
| vosotros | dolierais | Si vosotros dolierais, deberíais decírmelo. | If you were in pain, you should tell me. |
| ellos | dolieran | Me sorprendió que ellos no dolieran tras el entrenamiento. | I was surprised that they were not in pain after the training. |
Doler Pluperfect Subjunctive Conjugation – Subjuntivo Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hubiera dolido | Si me hubiera dolido la cabeza, me hubiera quedado en casa. | If my head had hurt, I would have stayed at home. |
| tú | hubieras dolido | Si te hubiera dolido el estómago, deberías haberlo dicho. | If your stomach had hurt, you should have said so. |
| él/ella/usted | hubiera dolido | Si le hubiera dolido el pie, no hubiera corrido la maratón. | If his/her foot had hurt, he/she wouldn’t have run the marathon. |
| nosotros/as | hubiéramos dolido | Si nos hubiera dolido la espalda, no habríamos ido de excursión. | If our backs had hurt, we wouldn’t have gone on the hike. |
| vosotros/as | hubierais dolido | Si os hubiera dolido la garganta, os habría comprado caramelos. | If your throats had hurt, I would have bought you candies. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hubieran dolido | Si les hubiera dolido la cabeza, habrían tomado una aspirina. | If their heads had hurt, they would have taken an aspirin. |
Doler Conjugation Future Subjunctive – Subjuntivo Futuro
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | doliere | Si yo doliere, tomaría un analgésico. | If I were to ache, I would take a painkiller. |
| tú | dolieres | Si tú dolieres, deberías descansar más. | If you were to ache, you should rest more. |
| él/ella/usted | doliere | Si él doliere, no podría jugar el partido. | If he were to ache, he couldn’t play the match. |
| nosotros/nosotras | doliéremos | Si nosotros doliéremos, cancelaríamos el viaje. | If we were to ache, we would cancel the trip. |
| vosotros/vosotras | doliereis | Si vosotros doliereis, os recomendaría ir al médico. | If you all were to ache, I would recommend going to the doctor. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | dolieren | Si ellos dolieren, se perderían la fiesta. | If they were to ache, they would miss the party. |
Practice Test For Conjugating Doler in Spanish
1. A mí me __ la cabeza.
A) duele
B) dolemos
C) doléis
D) duelen
-
A nosotros nos __ los pies después de caminar tanto.
A) duele
B) dolas
C) duelen
D) dolemos -
¿A ti te __ mucho el estómago?
A) duele
B) dolor
C) doléis
D) duelen -
A ellos les __ las manos de tanto escribir.
A) doler
B) duele
C) dueles
D) duelen -
Normalmente, ¿a vosotros os ___ los ojos después de leer?
A) doler
B) doléis
C) duele
D) duelen -
A ella le __ el cuello si duerme en una mala posición.
A) duele
B) duelen
C) doléis
D) doler -
A ti te __ los dedos cuando hace frío, ¿verdad?
A) duele
B) doléis
C) duelen
D) doler -
Es raro que a Juan le __ la espalda, es muy joven.
A) duele
B) duelen
C) doléis
D) dolor -
Siempre nos __ los oídos cuando volamos.
A) duele
B) doléis
C) doler
D) duelen -
¿No te ___ las muelas últimamente?
A) duele
B) doléis
C) duelen
D) dolor -
A ustedes les __ mucho correr, ¿no es así?
A) duele
B) doléis
C) duelen
D) doler -
Antes de la operación, a mi hermano le ___ la rodilla mucho.
A) doler
B) duele
C) doléis
D) duelen -
Por lo general, ¿a los niños les __ la cabeza?
A) doler
B) duele
C) doléis
D) duelen -
Me sorprende que a ti no te __ los hombros después de cargar tanto peso.
A) duele
B) doléis
C) duelen
D) doler -
Es poco común que a las personas mayores no les ___ las articulaciones.
A) doler
B) duele
C) doléis
D) duelen -
A ella le __ la garganta cuando bebe algo muy frío.
A) duele
B) doléis
C) duelen
D) doler -
En invierno, a menudo me __ las manos por el frío.
A) duele
B) doléis
C) duelen
D) doler -
Si te ___ la cabeza, deberías descansar.
A) duele
B) doléis
C) duelen
D) doler -
Después de jugar fútbol, a nosotros nos ___ las piernas.
A) doler
B) duele
C) doléis
D) duelen -
¿Por qué a los adolescentes a menudo les ___ los brazos y las piernas?
A) duele
B) doléis
C) duelen
D) doler
Answers:
1. A) duele
2. C) duelen
3. A) duele
4. D) duelen
5. D) duelen
6. A) duele
7. C) duelen
8. A) duele
9. D) duelen
10. C) duelen
11. A) duele
12. B) duele
13. D) duelen
14. A) duele
15. D) duelen
16. A) duele
17. C) duelen
18. A) duele
19. D) duelen
20. C) duelen
This definitive guide on how to conjugate doler in Spanish is designed for learners at all levels. Whether you’re a beginner eager to master the basics or an advanced learner polishing your grammar, this article is tailored to cover every angle of doler conjugation. With a meticulous approach, we’ve distilled key insights into the most searched-for aspects of conjugating ‘doler,’ ensuring that no stone is left unturned.
In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the doler conjugation present, where you’ll discover how to correctly use doler in the present tense, laying the foundation for expressing current actions and states. We then transition into the past with doler preterite and doler conjugation preterite, guiding you through the nuances of recounting completed actions. For those intricate narratives, doler preterite conjugation will sharpen your storytelling, ensuring you convey past events with accuracy.
Venturing into the subjunctive mood, our guide on doler subjunctive illuminates how to express desires, doubts, and hypotheticals with doler, adding depth to your conversations and writings. And for those looking to master every tense, our sections on doler conditional, doler imperative, and doler infinitive usage will refine your command of Spanish, enabling you to navigate future possibilities, give commands, and utilize doler in its most versatile form.
By weaving through these phrases, our article stands as a beacon for learners and educators alike, promising a well-rounded mastery of doler. So, whether you’re drafting an email, engaging in conversation, or penning a narrative, let this guide be your trusted companion in conquering the conjugation of “doler” across all its forms.
Final Words
In conclusion, learning how to conjugate doler in Spanish is a fundamental step for students looking to enhance their linguistic proficiency. Mastering this verb allows learners to express discomfort, pain, or sorrow with precision and authenticity, elements crucial for meaningful communication in any language. The process of conjugation may seem daunting at first, but with practice, it becomes an invaluable tool in the arsenal of anyone seeking to converse fluently in Spanish.
Understanding the nuances of how doler is conjugated across different tenses enables speakers to navigate past, present, and future scenarios with ease. This versatility is essential for crafting narratives, sharing experiences, and engaging in conversations that require empathy and emotional depth. It enriches the speaker’s ability to connect with others on a personal level, making language not just a means of communication, but an avenue for establishing genuine human connections.
Ultimately, the effort invested in mastering the conjugation of doler pays off by significantly enhancing the speaker’s proficiency in Spanish. It empowers individuals to express complex feelings and states of being accurately, fostering clearer and more compelling communication. Through diligent practice and application, students can achieve a higher level of fluency, making their interactions in Spanish both more enjoyable and effective.