Me duele la espalda.
My back hurts.
Asked if he's okay, the web-slinger stretches out on the scaffolding and groans this line, his back stiff from all the swinging.
From Spider-Man: sin camino a casa · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "back" in Spanish
la espalda
nounfeminineplural: las espaldas
"Back" in Spanish is la espalda when you mean the part of your body: Me duele la espalda is "My back hurts." For coming back, the verb is volver, and for a direction, as in a step back, the word is atrás.
Hear "espalda" in real movie scenes
A sore back and a warning to protect it. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Cuidado con la espalda.
Careful with your back.
In rehearsal the dance teacher warns a partner about this body part, and Spanish says la espalda where English says your back.
From El show debe seguir · Spanish audio
Back that isn't your back
English uses back for the body, for returning and for direction. Spanish splits them up.
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| la espalda | back (body) | Tengo dolor de espalda. (I have back pain.) |
| volver | to come back, to go back | Vuelvo a las seis. (I'll be back at six.) |
| devolver | to give back | Te devuelvo el libro. (I'll give you the book back.) |
| atrás | back, backward | un paso atrás (a step back) |
| de atrás | in the back | el asiento de atrás (the back seat) |
Tip: Ahora vuelvo is the everyday way to say "I'll be right back."
Grammar: la espalda, me duele la espalda
Gender, aches, and two set phrases.
Feminine, starting with es-
la espalda, las espaldas. Spanish puts an e in front of sp-, as in España and especial, so the e is part of the word.Aches take doler
Me duele la espalda. Add a second sore spot and the verb turns plural: Me duelen la espalda y la cadera.With your back turned
de espaldas means facing away: Está de espaldas a la puerta.Behind someone's back
a espaldas de someone, or a mis espaldas: Lo hizo a mis espaldas. He did it behind my back.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Me duele la espalda.
My back hurts.
Me duelen la espalda y la cadera.
My back and hip hurt.
Tengo dolor de espalda.
I have back pain.
Ahora vuelvo.
I'll be right back.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗SPAHL-dah (pronunciation)
✓ehs-PAHL-dah
Like España, the word opens with a full e sound. Say it clearly before the s.
✗Me duele mi espalda
✓Me duele la espalda
The me before duele already shows whose back it is, so the article la is enough.
✗Estoy atrás (meaning I'm back home)
✓Ya estoy de vuelta
Atrás is a direction, behind or backward. Being back from somewhere is estar de vuelta, or the short Ya volví.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 26 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Espalda has pal in the middle. Picture your best pal giving you a friendly pat on the back.
Questions about "back" in Spanish
How do you say back in Spanish?
For the body, la espalda. Coming back is volver, and back as a direction is atrás.
How do you say "my back hurts" in Spanish?
Me duele la espalda. For constant back pain, you can also say Tengo dolor de espalda.
How do you say "I'll be right back" in Spanish?
Ahora vuelvo or Vuelvo enseguida. Both use volver, the verb for coming back.
Is espalda masculine or feminine?
Feminine: la espalda, las espaldas. Adjectives agree with it: la espalda recta.
