German Phrase
Mir tut der untere Rücken weh.
Meaning
The speaker is saying that the lower part of their back is painful. It is a common way to report a specific area of back pain in everyday conversation.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to tell a friend, a doctor, or a colleague that your lower back hurts – for example after lifting something heavy, after a long day at the desk, or when you need to excuse yourself from an activity.
✦Grammar Breakdown
MirtutderuntereRückenweh
Dative with 'tun' for pain
When describing something that hurts, German uses the impersonal verb 'tun' with a dative pronoun (mir, dir, ihm…). The person feeling the pain is in dative, not the subject.
Verb‑second word order
In main clauses the finite verb occupies the second position, so 'tut' comes right after the initial dative pronoun.
Adjective declension with definite article
The adjective 'untere' follows a definite article (der) and therefore takes the weak ending -e in the masculine nominative.
'weh' as a predicative adjective
'Weh' functions like an adjective that describes the state of the subject; it stays at the end of the clause.
🗨In Conversation
Mir tut der untere Rücken weh.
My lower back hurts.
Oh nein, hast du dich vielleicht beim Heben verletzt?
Oh no, did you maybe injure yourself while lifting?
✕Common Mistakes
Ich tut der untere Rücken weh.
The verb must agree with the dative pronoun, not with 'ich'. Use 'Mir tut' instead of 'Ich tut'.
Mir tut den unteren Rücken weh.
The subject of the sentence is nominative; using the accusative 'den' is incorrect.
Mir schmerzt der untere Rücken.
While 'schmerzt' is possible, it requires a different word order: 'Mein unterer Rücken schmerzt.' Using it with the dative construction is unidiomatic.
↔Alternatives
Ich habe Schmerzen im unteren Rücken.
I have pain in my lower back.
Mein unterer Rücken schmerzt.
My lower back aches.
Mein Rücken tut im unteren Teil weh.
My back hurts in the lower part.
Cultural Tip
In German, the construction 'Mir tut ... weh' is the most natural way to talk about personal pain. It sounds informal and conversational. In a medical setting you might hear 'Ich habe Schmerzen im unteren Rücken' which sounds a bit more formal.