How To Say You Have a Headache in Spanish

Hola a todos! (Hello everyone!) Welcome to Your Daily Pinch of Spanish :)

Today I have for you a short lesson: How to say your head hurts.

I had the most horrible series of headaches this last week. It lasted like three days! And it was just horrible. I couldnt spend much time on the computer, and sounds were just aggravating.

Headaches can be so annoying, and sometimes we need to tell the person being noisy next to us that we have a headache (Lol)

Lets begin!

Dolor de cabeza (doh-lohr deh cah-beh-sah) Headache

Jaqueca (hah-keh-kah) Headache

 

How do you say it?

1. Tengo dolor de cabeza I have a headache.

*This is the most common one you will hear if you come to Puerto Rico. Also:

Me duele la cabeza My head hurts

2. Tengo una jaqueca I have a headache

This is seldom used in Puerto Rico, but it seems to be the most common in most other Hispanic countries. I hear it all the time on Television, and so it is the one you might be hearing the most learning Spanish and traveling to Hispanic countries.

*You can add the words: terrible, horrible, horrendo, and fuerte

Tengo un fuerte dolor de cabeza I have a strong headache.

Tengo una jaqueca terrible I have a terrible headache

*Terrible is written exactly the same as in English, but it is pronounced differently. Keep it in mind. It is: Teh-rree-bleh 

Tengo una jaqueca horrenda I have a horrendous headache

Tengo un dolor de cabeza horrible I have a horrible headache

 

More about headaches:

Sometimes when a person is annoying, or a child is very wild and energetic, people will say they are a headache. For example:

Él es un dolor de cabeza Hes such a headache

Ese nene es un dolor de cabeza That kid is such a headache

*Nene is another word for niño (child). Nene translates as kid. Nene is the masculine; the feminine is nena. *The word nene or nena is also used by couples to call each other sweetly, so it can also translate to something like baby, honey, or sweetie, in this context.


 

This is it for now. I hope you found this little lesson useful and fun!

If there is any doubt, do contact me. I have a Twitter page and a Facebook Page. I also have a Tumblr where I post a link to every new lesson/post.

Until next time!