Today’s Spanish word of the day is “dolor”. It’s a masculine noun that can translate as “pain”, “ache” or “sorrow”.
It comes from the identical Latin word dolor, which also meant “pain” or “grief”.
It’s related to the verb “doler”, meaning “to hurt”.
You’ve probably come across the woman’s name Dolores before. It might seem strange to give your child a name that means “pains” or “sorrows”. The name Dolores honors the Virgin Mary, who in Catholicism is sometimes referred to as “Nuestra Señora de los Dolores” (“Our Lady of Sorrows”), due to the suffering she is believed to have experienced as the mother of Jesus.
Example sentences
Tengo dolor de cabeza y necesito descansar.
I have a headache and need to rest.
El dolor de la guerra civil en El Salvador todavía afecta a muchas familias.
The pain of the civil war in El Salvador still affects many families.
Cada vez que escucho esa canción, siento un dolor en el corazón.
Every time I hear that song, I feel a pain in my heart.
Siento un dolor agudo en el brazo después de la caída.
I feel a sharp pain in my arm after the fall.
Después de hacer ejercicio, a veces siento dolor en los músculos.
After exercising, I sometimes feel pain in my muscles.
