Pain pattern

Mir tut der Kopf weh. — dative experiencer + subject thing.

Body parts as subject

Often definite article: Das Bein tut weh.

mit + body part

Ich schreibe mit der Hand.

Practice

List three aches (real or invented) in this pattern without translating word-for-word from English possession.

Practical Examples

1. Mir tut der Kopf weh.

English: My head hurts. Note: "Mir" is the dative pronoun indicating who is experiencing the pain.

1. Ihm tut der Rücken weh.

English: His back hurts. Note: "Ihm" (dative of "er") shows that he is the one feeling the pain.

1. Tut dir der Zahn weh?

English: Does your tooth hurt? Note: "Dir" (dative of "du") is used when asking if you are experiencing the pain.

1. Ihr tun die Füße weh, weil sie viel gelaufen ist.

English: Her feet hurt because she walked a lot. Note: "Ihr" (dative of "sie" - singular female) indicates that she is the one whose feet hurt.

1. Die Augen tun mir nicht weh.

English: My eyes don't hurt. Note: "Nicht" negates the pain, but the dative "mir" still indicates who would feel it.

1. Uns tut der Hals weh, wir haben eine Erkältung.

English: Our throat hurts, we have a cold. Note: "Uns" (dative of "wir") shows that we are collectively experiencing the pain.

1. Euch tun die Hände weh vom Arbeiten?

English: Do your hands hurt from working? (plural informal 'you') Note: "Euch" (dative of "ihr" - plural informal 'you') is used when addressing multiple people.

1. Nach dem Unfall tat ihm das Bein weh.

English: After the accident, his leg hurt. Note: The verb "tun" is conjugated in the past tense ("tat") but the dative structure remains the same.

1. Mir tut mein Bauch weh, ich habe zu viel gegessen.

English: My stomach hurts, I ate too much. Note: "Mir" is used with "mein Bauch" to specify that it's my stomach that hurts.

1. Dem Kind tun die Knie weh vom Fallen.

English: The child's knees hurt from falling. Note: "Dem Kind" is the dative form of "das Kind", indicating the child is the one feeling the pain.

1. Tut Ihnen der Arm weh, Herr Müller?

English: Does your arm hurt, Mr. Müller? (formal 'you') Note: "Ihnen" (dative of "Sie" - formal 'you') is used in formal address.

1. Mir tun die Ohren weh, es ist zu laut hier.

English: My ears hurt, it's too loud here. Note: For plural body parts like "Ohren", the verb "tun" is used instead of "tut".

1. Warum tut dir die Schulter weh? Hast du dich verletzt?

English: Why does your shoulder hurt? Did you injure yourself? Note: This is a question asking about the cause of the pain, maintaining the dative structure.

1. Ihr tut der Kopf nicht weh, sie hat keine Migräne mehr.

English: Her head doesn't hurt, she doesn't have a migraine anymore. Note: A negation with "nicht" confirming the absence of pain for her.

1. Uns tun die Augen weh vom vielen Lesen am Computer.

English: Our eyes hurt from reading a lot on the computer. Note: Another example with plural body parts and a dative pronoun, explaining the cause.