German · Body & Health
"to hurt" in German: wehtun
wehtun
Note: "it hurts": es tut weh
To hurt in German is wehtun. In real speech you say Es tut weh or Der Kopf tut weh. Keep both words; wehgetan is the participle form.
After sport
Mein Knie tut weh, wenn ich treppe steige.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce wehtun
Say it
es toot vay
/ɛs tuːt veː/
es toot vay. Tut like "toot" short; weh like English "vay". Together: es toot vay.
"to hurt" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| wehtun | to hurt Dictionary infinitive. | Dictionary infinitive. |
| es tut weh | it hurts Everyday present. | Everyday present. |
| mir tut der Kopf weh | I have a headache Body part + wehtun. | Body part + wehtun. |
| wehgetan | hurt (participle) Past. | Past. |
How to use wehtun in real life
- 1After sport
Mein Knie tut weh, wenn ich treppe steige.
My knee hurts when I climb stairs.
Tut weh together.
- 2Checking on a friend
Tut der Rücken immer noch weh?
Does your back still hurt?
Question form.
- 3Kitchen accident
Aua — das hat richtig wehgetan.
Ow — that really hurt.
Wehgetan counts.
Mistakes English speakers make with wehtun
Incorrect: Es tut. (alone)
Correct: Es tut weh.
Keep weh; tut alone does not teach wehtun.
Incorrect: Mein Kopf hurts.
Correct: Mein Kopf tut weh.
Use tut weh, not English hurts.
Good to know
Germans pair body parts with wehtun: Mir tut der Zahn weh. For emotional hurt, people more often say Das hat wehgetan or Das hat mir wehgetan.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
After a clumsy bump
ChatPal
Alles okay? Tut die Schulter weh?
Everything okay? Does your shoulder hurt?
You
Ein bisschen. Es tut weh, aber es geht.
A little. It hurts, but it's okay.
ChatPal
Setz dich. Wenn es stark weh tut, sagen wir Bescheid.
Sit down. If it hurts a lot, we'll say so.
You
Danke. Gerade tut es schon weniger weh.
Thanks. Right now it already hurts less.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to hurt" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to hurt" in German
How do you say it hurts?
Es tut weh.
How do you say my head hurts?
Mir tut der Kopf weh. / Der Kopf tut weh.
What is the infinitive?
Wehtun.
Past form?
Wehgetan — Das hat wehgetan.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
