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Questions & Answers about Mój palec boli.
Why do we use mój instead of moja or moje here?
Mój is the masculine form of the word "my". In Polish, possessive words must match the gender of the noun they describe. Since palec (finger) is a masculine noun, we use mój. If it were a feminine noun like głowa (head), you would say moja głowa.
Why is palec in its basic dictionary form (the nominative case) here?
Because the finger is the subject of the sentence! In Polish, when you say a body part hurts, that body part is the one "doing" the action. Since it is the subject, it stays in the basic nominative case, exactly like in the English sentence "My finger hurts."
How would I change this sentence to say "My fingers hurt" (plural)?
You have to change all three words to their plural forms. The sentence becomes Moje palce bolą. Notice that the verb boleć (to hurt) changes from boli (it hurts) to bolą (they hurt).
Does palec only mean "finger"?
Actually, palec translates to both "finger" and "toe" in Polish! If you ever need to be specific, you can say palec u ręki (digit of the hand) or palec u nogi (digit of the foot), but usually, the context is enough to tell them apart.