Weh tun and Schmerzen — these German words essentially mean “hurt” and “pain/ache”, respectively, and are excellently suited for communicating that you’re suffering from some type of pain.

Examples

Mein Kopf tut weh. My head hurts.

Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. I have a headache.

Was tut weh? What hurts?

The word Schmerzen can be attached to any body part where you would use the word “ache” in English, in essence.

Examples

Kopfschmerzen — headache

Ohrenschmerzen — earache

Zahnschmerzen — toothache

Halsschmerzen — throat ache

Bauchschmerzen — stomach ache

For all other body parts you would use the expression tut weh. Note that “heartache” can not be translated this way.