"My ankle just started hurting"

Question

The difficulty I have translating this sentence is with the word "just".

In this context, the word "just" indicates that the event happened very recently. Based on that, I would normally use "acabar de" to solve it, but given the general meaning of "acabar", that doesn't make much sense when the event started recently and is still happening. So, what does that translate to here? How might I convey this ankle-related misfortune?

Answer 1

I'd use the present simple: me está empezando a doler el tobillo. It gives the idea that it has started now, a few minutes ago it was fine.

However, me acaba de empezar a doler el tobillo is not wrong, just a bit longer, but it would be understood.

Thanks for giving two options, now I can give one to bystanders and one to the EMTs. - Hexogen, Apr 9, 2011

And a third option: A penas me empezó a doler............ - 005faa61, Apr 9, 2011

Answer 2

El tobillo puso a doler. Poner + a + infinative is commonly used to describe the start of an action.

Answer 3

Acabar de means = to have just done something Don't worry that acabar as an infinitive also means to have finished.

I think that it would be:

Mi acaba de comenzar ( o empezar) a doler el tobillo

I hope this helps