weh tun / wehtun
to hurt
To cause physical or emotional pain.
EXAMPLE
Pass auf, dass du dir nicht den Kopf stößt, das tut weh!
Be careful not to bump your head; that hurts!
weh
sore / painful
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Meanings
weh
oh dear
An exclamation that expresses pain, regret, or lament.
EXAMPLE
Oh weh, jetzt habe ich den Zug verpasst!
Oh dear, now I've missed the train!
Usage tips
Sentence structure with dative
The verb 'wehtun' (to hurt) always needs a dative object for the person who feels the pain. The thing causing the pain is the subject. The structure is: [subject] tut [dative object] weh.
EXAMPLE
Mein Rücken tut mir weh.
My back hurts.
Word order
'Wehtun' (to hurt) behaves like a separable verb. In a main clause, 'tun' stands in the conjugated position and 'weh' goes at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Mein Kopf tut schon den ganzen Tag weh.
My head has been hurting all day.
Fixed expression
'Oh weh!' (oh dear!) is a fixed exclamation used to express regret, worry, or a small mishap. It usually comes at the beginning of a sentence.
EXAMPLE
Oh weh, ich habe meinen Schlüssel drinnen vergessen!
Oh dear, I forgot my key inside!
Also for emotional pain
'Wehtun' (to hurt) describes not only physical pain but also emotional pain. In this case, words, memories, or actions, for example, can 'wehtun' (hurt).
EXAMPLE
Seine unfreundlichen Worte haben mir sehr wehgetan.
His unkind words hurt me a lot.
Compare with
weh vs Leid
suffering
„Das Leid“ appears in the fixed expression „Es tut mir leid“ when someone expresses regret or apologizes. „Weh“ is appropriate when an action actually causes physical or emotional pain.
weh
Deine harte Antwort tut mir immer noch weh.
Your harsh response still hurts me.
Leid
Es tut mir leid, dass ich dich mit meiner harten Antwort verletzt habe.
I'm sorry that I hurt you with my harsh response.
In real life
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