Portuguese Phrase
Estou com dor na lombar.
Meaning
The speaker is telling someone that they are currently feeling pain in the lower back. It conveys a temporary, physical discomfort rather than a chronic condition.
When to use
Use this sentence when you need to explain a health problem to a doctor, a friend, or a colleague—especially if you want to be specific about the location of the pain.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Estoucomdornalombar
Estar (temporary state)
Use 'estou' (first‑person singular of estar) to talk about a temporary condition, such as feeling pain.
Com + noun (having a symptom)
The construction 'com + noun' is the standard way to say you are experiencing a symptom (e.g., 'com dor', 'com febre').
Na = em + a
‘na’ is the contraction of the preposition ‘em’ + the feminine article ‘a’, used before feminine nouns like ‘lombar’.
Lombar as a noun
‘Lombar’ originally an adjective meaning ‘related to the lumbar region’; in everyday speech it works as a noun meaning ‘lower back’.
🗨In Conversation
Você está bem?
Are you okay?
Estou com dor na lombar.
I have lower‑back pain.
✕Common Mistakes
Sou com dor na lombar.
‘Sou’ (from ser) describes permanent traits; use ‘estou’ for temporary conditions like pain.
Estou com dor de lombar.
The correct preposition after ‘dor’ is ‘na’ (in the) or ‘nas’, not ‘de’.
Estou com dor nas lombar.
‘Lombar’ is singular; the article must agree: ‘na lombar’, not ‘nas lombar’.
↔Alternatives
Tenho dor nas costas.
I have back pain.
Estou sentindo dor na região lombar.
I’m feeling pain in the lumbar region.
Estou com dor na parte inferior das costas.
I have pain in the lower part of my back.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil people often say ‘dor nas costas’ for general back pain. ‘Lombar’ sounds a bit more medical, so you’ll hear it more in clinics or when you want to be precise. Adjust the register depending on who you’re talking to—use the simpler version with friends and the technical one with health professionals.