The Article With Body Parts

Level 3

English says "my head" and "your coat". Galician usually says "the head" and "the coat", because the owner is obvious: Dóeme a cabeza (my head hurts), Lavei as mans (I washed my hands).

How It Works

The owner is obvious. When the subject acts on their own body or clothes, the article is enough:

  • Lavei as mans. (I washed my hands.)
  • Partín a perna esquiando. (I broke my leg skiing.)
  • Quita o abrigo. (Take off your coat.)
  • Ten os ollos verdes. (She has green eyes.)

No reflexive pronoun. Standard Galician does not add a reflexive pronoun in these cases, even though Spanish does. Say Lavei as mans and Queimei un dedo (I burned a finger), not Laveime as mans or Queimeime un dedo. Compare real reflexive verbs, where the whole person is affected: Laveime (I washed).

A pronoun names the owner. With verbs such as doer, the pronoun already says whose body it is: Dóeme a cabeza (my head hurts), Dóenche as costas? (does your back hurt?). The same works when you act on someone else: Collinlle a man (I took her hand), Cortoulle o pelo ao neno (she cut the boy's hair).

When the possessive appears. A possessive is normal when the body part is the subject of the sentence, or when you contrast owners: A súa perna está mellor (his leg is better), Colle a miña man, non a del (take my hand, not his). After dóeme, however, a miña cabeza only repeats what me already says.

Examples (6)

  1. Dóeme moito a cabeza.

    My head really hurts.

    Word by Word: Hurts-me much the head.

  2. Lava as mans antes de comer.

    Wash your hands before you eat.

    Word by Word: Wash the hands before of eating.

  3. Onte partín o brazo xogando ao fútbol.

    Yesterday I broke my arm playing football.

    Word by Word: Yesterday broke-I the arm playing to-the football.

  4. Quita o abrigo e senta.

    Take off your coat and sit down.

    Word by Word: Take-off the coat and sit.

  5. A miña irmá ten o pelo moi longo.

    My sister has very long hair.

    Word by Word: The my sister has the hair very long.

  6. Collinlle a man ao neno para cruzar a rúa.

    I took the child's hand to cross the street.

    Word by Word: Took-I-to-him the hand to-the child to cross the street.

    Lle and ao neno name the owner of the hand, so no possessive is needed.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a reflexive pronoun.

    Laveime as mans.
    Lavei as mans.

    Galician grammars treat this reflexive as a Spanish pattern. The subject already shows whose hands they are.

  • Repeating the owner with a possessive.

    Dóeme a miña cabeza.
    Dóeme a cabeza.

    The pronoun me already says that it is your head. Adding miña repeats the owner and sounds like a word-for-word translation.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

The Article With Body PartsLevel 3

Learn This First

The article often identifies body parts or belongings when the owner is already clear.