Me duele el brazo.
My arm hurts.
The arm runs from the shoulder to the hand, and after a heavy bag or a long workout it's often the first part to ache.
From Dr. House · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "arm" in Spanish
el brazo
nounmasculineplural: los brazos
"Arm" in Spanish is el brazo, and both arms are los brazos. Put an a in front and the word turns into el abrazo, a hug. When your arm hurts, say Me duele el brazo.
Hear "brazo" in real movie scenes
Two people in pain, two short lines. Each video starts and stops on that line.
¡Ah, el brazo!
Ow, my arm!
After a knock, the boy only names the body part and everyone knows where it hurts. Spanish says el brazo where English says my arm.
From Chicos buenos · Spanish audio
Brazo in everyday phrases
Idioms, injuries and the word for a hug.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| con los brazos abiertos | with open arms | Nos recibieron con los brazos abiertos. |
| cruzarse de brazos | to fold your arms | It also means to sit back and do nothing. |
| del brazo | arm in arm | Caminan del brazo por el parque. |
| no dar el brazo a torcer | not to give in | Literally, not to let your arm be twisted. |
| Tengo el brazo roto. | My arm is broken. | Roto agrees with brazo, so it ends in -o. |
| el abrazo | hug | Friends often sign off a message with Un abrazo. |
Tip: Brazo also names the arm of a chair or a sofa: el brazo del sillón.
Grammar: el brazo, los brazos
Four points for talking about arms.
Masculine, plural with -s
el brazo, un brazo, los brazos. Adjectives follow the noun and agree: los brazos fuertes.The z: th or s
In most of Spain you'll hear BRAH-thoh. In Latin America it's BRAH-soh. People understand both everywhere.An injured arm
Use tener with the article: Tengo el brazo roto. In Spain, an arm in a plaster cast is escayolado.Duelen for a list
Two or more body parts make the verb plural: Me duelen los brazos. Me duelen el brazo y el hombro.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Me duele el brazo.
My arm hurts.
¡Ah, el brazo!
Ow, my arm!
Me duelen el brazo, el cuello y el hombro.
My arm, my neck and my shoulder hurt.
Levanta los brazos.
Raise your arms.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗el abrazo (meaning arm)
✓el brazo
An abrazo is a hug. The arm itself starts straight with br-.
✗Me duele el brazo y el hombro
✓Me duelen el brazo y el hombro
Two body parts are a plural subject, so duele becomes duelen.
✗Tengo mi brazo roto
✓Tengo el brazo roto
For an injury described with tener, Spanish uses el instead of mi.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 34 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
A bracelet sits at the end of your brazo, and both words open with bra-. Picture a bracelet sliding up your arm.
Questions about "arm" in Spanish
How do you say arm in Spanish?
El brazo. Both arms are los brazos.
How do you say "my arm hurts" in Spanish?
Me duele el brazo. If both arms hurt, it's Me duelen los brazos.
What's the difference between brazo and abrazo?
El brazo is the arm, and el abrazo is a hug, the thing your arms do. Only the first letter is different.
How do you say "broken arm" in Spanish?
El brazo roto: Tengo el brazo roto. You'll also hear Me he roto el brazo, I've broken my arm.
