Questions & Answers about Mein Kopf tut weh.
Why does the sentence use the word tut (does)?
The verb for 'to hurt' in German is wehtun. This is a separable verb made of weh (pain/sore) and tun (to do). When you use it in a normal sentence, the tun part is conjugated (becoming tut to match the singular 'head') and the weh part goes to the very end of the sentence.
Is Kopf a masculine, feminine, or neuter noun?
It is masculine (der Kopf). Because the head is the subject of the sentence (it is the thing doing the hurting), it is in the nominative case. This is why we use the basic possessive word Mein instead of Meinen.
How would I say this if multiple body parts hurt, like my eyes?
Because 'eyes' is plural, you need to change the verb form to match. You would say Meine Augen tun weh. The verb changes from tut for one thing to tun for multiple things.
What is the difference between Mein Kopf tut weh and Ich habe Kopfschmerzen?
They mean exactly the same thing in everyday life. Mein Kopf tut weh literally means 'My head hurts', while Ich habe Kopfschmerzen means 'I have head-pains' (I have a headache). Both are extremely common at the A1 level!
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