Modern German Grammar: A Practical Guide, Second Edition

110.11 Pain

... tut mir weh ‘my... hurts ‘(informal) (see 37.4)
Schmerzen haben ‘to have pains’
-s -weh ‘-ache’
sich (= dat.) (an etw. (= dat.)) weh*tun ‘to hurt oneself (on sth.)’
-s Leid(en) ‘suffering’
leiden an (+ dat.) ‘to suffer from’
Schmerzen lindern ‘to alleviate/relieve pain’
-e Linderung ‘alleviation/relief ’

(a) The main way of referring to pain is by using Schmerzen haben ‘to have pain’

(lit. ‘pains’).

To indicate the exact place of pain, say:

Ich habe Schmerzen am Rücken/an der Hand/im Unterleib.

I have a pain in my back/on my hand/in my lower abdomen.

Schmerzen (always plural) is usually the last component in a compound, following the

part of the body that is causing pain.

 See 54.2 (pp. 136–7) for the formation of compounds.

Ich habe Magenschmerzen/Kopfschmerzen/Zahnschmerzen.

I have stomach pains/a headache/toothache.

(b) In informal speech, Schmerzen is often replaced by (sich) weh*tun or by -s Weh

‘ache’, which is used in the singular:

Ach, mein Arm tut mir weh.

Oh, my arm hurts.

Mutti, ich habe Bauchweh.

Mummy, I have a tummy ache.

Vati, ich habe mir am Zaun wehgetan.

Daddy, I’ve hurt myself on the fence.

(c) Suffering

Er litt an einer schweren Lungenentzündung.

He suffered from severe pneumonia.

 See 23.2a (p. 39) for the use of the German article. See also 110.8d (p. 388) on the use of

leiden.

(d) Alleviating pain

Zur Linderung des Juckreizes wird ein Kamillenbad empfohlen.

A camomile bath is recommended to alleviate the itching.

110.12 Doctors, treatment and medication

(a) Doctors

A medical doctor is usually referred to as -r Arzt, a female doctor is -e Ärztin.

110

CONVEYING ATTITUDES/MENTAL STATES