Spanish Phrase
Me duele la parte baja de la espalda.
Meaning
Literally, “The lower part of my back hurts.” It is the standard way in Spanish to express that you are experiencing pain in the lumbar region of your back.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to tell a friend, a doctor, or a colleague that you have lower‑back pain, whether you’re asking for help, explaining why you can’t lift something, or describing symptoms during a medical appointment.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Meduelelapartebajadelaespalda
Me (indirect object pronoun)
In sentences with verbs like doler, the person who feels the pain is expressed with an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, os, les).
duele (verb doler)
Doler is an impersonal verb; it is conjugated in the third person singular and the thing that hurts is the grammatical subject.
la parte baja (noun phrase)
‘Parte’ is a feminine noun; ‘baja’ is an adjective that agrees in gender and number (feminine singular).
de la espalda (prepositional phrase)
The preposition de introduces the body part that the ‘parte baja’ belongs to.
🗨In Conversation
Me duele la parte baja de la espalda.
My lower back hurts.
¿Quieres que te lleve al médico o prefieres descansar en casa?
Do you want me to take you to the doctor or would you rather rest at home?
✕Common Mistakes
Yo duele la parte baja de la espalda.
The verb doler never takes a subject pronoun; the person feeling the pain is expressed with an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le…).
Me dolor la parte baja de la espalda.
‘Dolor’ is a noun; you cannot conjugate it. Use the verb ‘doler’ (me duele) or the phrase ‘tengo dolor’.
Me duele la partes bajas de la espalda.
‘Parte’ is singular; the adjective must agree (baja). For plural you would say ‘partes bajas’, but the usual expression is singular.
↔Alternatives
Tengo dolor en la zona lumbar.
I have pain in the lumbar area.
Me duele la zona lumbar.
My lumbar region hurts.
Me duele la espalda baja.
My lower back hurts.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries people often use the noun ‘dolor’ (pain) with a prepositional phrase: “Tengo dolor en la zona lumbar.” The verb ‘doler’ is more conversational and sounds natural in everyday speech. When speaking to a doctor, you might also be asked “¿Desde cuándo le duele?” (Since when has it been hurting you?) and it’s polite to describe the intensity (leve, moderado, intenso).