Sí, es su cuello.
Yes, it's the neck.
The doctor points to the trouble spot between the head and the shoulders. Su can mean his, her or your, so the situation tells you whose neck it is.
From Grey's Anatomy · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "neck" in Spanish
el cuello
nounmasculineplural: los cuellosalso: collar
"Neck" in Spanish is el cuello, pronounced KWEH-yoh. When it hurts, say Me duele el cuello. The same word also means the collar of a shirt.
Hear "cuello" in a real scene
A doctor finds the problem. The video starts and stops on that line.
Cuello and the words around it
The neck, the throat, the collar and two expressions.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| el cuello | neck | The outside of the neck, from the head down to the shoulders. |
| la garganta | throat | A sore throat is Me duele la garganta. |
| la nuca | back of the neck | The spot under your hair at the back. |
| el cuello de la camisa | shirt collar | A high neck on a sweater is cuello alto. |
| hasta el cuello | up to your neck | Estoy hasta el cuello de trabajo. I'm up to my neck in work. |
| el cuello de botella | bottleneck | Used the same way as in English, for traffic or for a slow step in a process. |
Tip: If it hurts when you swallow, the problem is la garganta. If it hurts when you turn your head, it's el cuello.
Grammar: el cuello and me duele
Four points for talking about your neck.
It's masculine
el cuello, un cuello, plural los cuellos. Adjectives agree: un cuello largo.Pain works like gustar
Me duele el cuello. The neck is the subject of duele, and me tells you whose neck hurts.Article instead of mi
With body parts, Spanish prefers el over mi: Me duele el cuello, No puedo mover el cuello.Two sounds to watch
cu glides into KW, and ll is a single sound close to the y in yes: KWEH-yoh.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Me duele el cuello.
My neck hurts.
No puedo mover el cuello.
I can't move my neck.
Últimamente me duele el cuello.
My neck has been hurting lately.
Sí, es su cuello.
Yes, it's the neck.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Mi cuello duele
✓Me duele el cuello
Spanish puts me before the verb and uses the article with the body part.
✗Me duele el cuello (when it hurts to swallow)
✓Me duele la garganta
Cuello is the neck from the outside. A sore throat is la garganta.
✗KWEL-loh (pronunciation)
✓KWEH-yoh
The double l is one sound, close to an English y, never two separate l sounds.
Real conversation: after flamenco class
A short dialog outside a flamenco club.
After a flamenco class, you stop for a minute outside the club with Andrea, one of the dancers.
¡Qué bien tocas las palmas!
You're so good at clapping the rhythm!
Gracias. Me duelen los dedos.
Thanks. My fingers hurt.
¡Ay! ¿Y el cuello va bien?
Oh! And is your neck okay?
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last line.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 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
Cuello and English collar both go back to the Latin word for neck. Touch your shirt collar, and the neck under it is el cuello.
Questions about "neck" in Spanish
How do you say neck in Spanish?
El cuello, pronounced KWEH-yoh. It's masculine, and the plural is los cuellos.
How do you say "my neck hurts" in Spanish?
Me duele el cuello. Spanish uses doler with me and the article, so mi isn't needed.
Does cuello also mean collar?
Yes. El cuello de la camisa is the shirt collar, and a sweater with a high neck has a cuello alto.
What's the difference between cuello and garganta?
El cuello is the neck you see from the outside. La garganta is the throat inside it, so a sore throat is Me duele la garganta.
