Lastimar vs. herir vs. hacer daño vs. dañar
There are four common ways in Spanish to express the idea of causing pain or harm: lastimar, herir, hacer daño, and dañar. While they share similar translations in English, their usage varies slightly depending on whether the harm is a minor physical injury, a severe wound, a negative health effect, or material damage.
Lastimar
A2The verb lastimar generally refers to minor physical injuries, like twisting a joint or pulling a muscle, as well as hurting someone's feelings. It is extremely common in Latin American Spanish and implies an accidental or less severe injury compared to herir.
Me lastimé la rodilla jugando al fútbol en el parque.
(I hurt my knee playing soccer in the park.)
Sus frías palabras la lastimaron mucho durante la discusión.
(His cold words hurt her a lot during the argument.)
Ten cuidado con ese cuchillo porque te puedes lastimar.
(Be careful with that knife because you can hurt yourself.)
Mis zapatos nuevos me lastiman los dedos cuando camino mucho.
(My new shoes hurt my toes when I walk a lot.)
Nunca fue mi intención lastimar tu orgullo con mis comentarios.
(It was never my intention to hurt your pride with my comments.)
Herir
B1The verb herir translates more closely to the English word to wound. It indicates severe physical injuries that break the skin, such as cuts or gunshot wounds, and on an emotional level, it signifies a deep, profound offense or psychological trauma.
El soldado fue herido en el pecho durante la batalla.
(The soldier was wounded in the chest during the battle.)
El ladrón intentó herir al policía con una navaja.
(The thief tried to wound the police officer with a pocketknife.)
Me hirió profundamente cuando olvidó mi fiesta de cumpleaños.
(It hurt me deeply when he forgot my birthday party.)
El terrible accidente dejó a tres personas heridas de gravedad.
(The terrible accident left three people seriously injured.)
Esa clase de traición va a herir a toda la familia de por vida.
(That kind of betrayal is going to wound the whole family for life.)
Hacer daño
A2The phrase hacer daño is a versatile and highly common way to express that something causes physical pain, emotional distress, or a detriment to your health. It is frequently used to say that a particular food made your stomach sick or that someone maliciously intended to cause harm.
La comida muy picante siempre me hace daño en el estómago.
(Very spicy food always hurts my stomach.)
El perro es muy manso y no te va a hacer daño.
(The dog is very tame and is not going to hurt you.)
Llorar de vez en cuando no le hace daño a nadie.
(Crying once in a while does not do anyone any harm.)
Me hace daño la luz brillante del sol en los ojos.
(The bright sunlight hurts my eyes.)
Ellos publicaron noticias falsas para hacer daño a su carrera política.
(They published fake news to hurt his political career.)
Dañar
B1The verb dañar focuses heavily on material, structural, or functional damage rather than sharp physical pain, translating best as to damage or to ruin. It is used when an object breaks, a bodily organ or system is impaired, or an abstract concept like a reputation is compromised.
La fuerte tormenta dañó el techo de nuestra casa de madera.
(The strong storm damaged the roof of our wooden house.)
Fumar demasiados cigarrillos puede dañar tus pulmones de forma irreversible.
(Smoking too many cigarettes can irreversibly damage your lungs.)
Ese enorme escándalo va a dañar la imagen pública de la empresa.
(That huge scandal is going to damage the public image of the company.)
Mi computadora portátil se dañó anoche por un virus informático.
(My laptop was damaged last night by a computer virus.)
El exceso de agua terminó por dañar las nuevas plantas del jardín.
(The excess water ended up damaging the new garden plants.)
Summary
To choose the correct word, pay attention to the nature of the pain or harm. Use lastimar for minor injuries or hurt feelings, and herir for deep physical wounds or profound emotional trauma. Choose hacer daño as a versatile phrase for general pain, bad intentions, or food that makes you sick, and reserve dañar primarily for material damage, ruined objects, or impaired bodily organs.