"The pain is terrible!"

Translation: Smärtan är hemsk!

[EduardoTerroso]

Is there any difference in meaning or usage between "smärta" and "ont"?

[devalanteriel]

They do signify the same thing, but they work a bit differently. smärta is something you feel, whereas ont is something you have. smärta can also be a bit more formal, but I'd say that's a difference you hardly need to care about.

[Zmrzlina]

And in addition to that, ont can be used as an adverb ("det gör ont"), while smärta cannot.

[Metlieb]

Since we're already at it: I know the phrase jag har ont i (insert any body part). Is it also correct to say Jag har smärta i ... ?

[Katsube]

It's correct to say that, but it sounds better to rather say that you have "ont i". If you want to use "smärta" you kan say "Vilken smärta!" (literally "What a pain!") and you can make that longer to "Vilken smärta jag har i ..." ("What a pain I have in the ...") but it's way more common to just say "Vad ont jag har i ..." ("Such pain I have in the ...").

[Den_Oslagbara]

Why värken not accepted here?

[devalanteriel]

värk means ache, rather than pain.

[Katsube]

Hah, wrote "Smärtan är olidlig" ("olidlig" = "unbearable"), but it didn't work, damn me for thinking more of what I would say in this situation than what the literal translation is x)

[Larry-Johnson]

So how could you say this with "ont", instead of "smärta"?

[Katsube]

"Ont" is more like "hurt" than "pain". You would have to change the sentence to something like "Det gör hemskt ont" ("It hurts terribly") if you want to use "ont".