Peinar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb peinar means to comb, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Peinar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of peinar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo peino el pelo — "I comb my hair" — and in the preterite you say Yo peiné a mi hija — "I combed my daughter". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: peinar
- English: to comb
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: peinando
- Past participle: peinado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + peinado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for peinar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for peinar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Gerund: peinando · Past participle: peinado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | peino |
| tú | peinas |
| él/ella/Ud. | peina |
| nosotros/as | peinamos |
| vosotros/as | peináis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | peinan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | peiné |
| tú | peinaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | peinó |
| nosotros/as | peinamos |
| vosotros/as | peinasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | peinaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | peinaba |
| tú | peinabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | peinaba |
| nosotros/as | peinábamos |
| vosotros/as | peinabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | peinaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | peinaré |
| tú | peinarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | peinará |
| nosotros/as | peinaremos |
| vosotros/as | peinaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | peinarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | peinaría |
| tú | peinarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | peinaría |
| nosotros/as | peinaríamos |
| vosotros/as | peinaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | peinarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he peinado |
| tú | has peinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha peinado |
| nosotros/as | hemos peinado |
| vosotros/as | habéis peinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han peinado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había peinado |
| tú | habías peinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había peinado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos peinado |
| vosotros/as | habíais peinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían peinado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré peinado |
| tú | habrás peinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá peinado |
| nosotros/as | habremos peinado |
| vosotros/as | habréis peinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán peinado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría peinado |
| tú | habrías peinado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría peinado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos peinado |
| vosotros/as | habríais peinado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían peinado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | peine |
| tú | peines |
| él/ella/Ud. | peine |
| nosotros/as | peinemos |
| vosotros/as | peinéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | peinen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | peinara |
| tú | peinaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | peinara |
| nosotros/as | peináramos |
| vosotros/as | peinarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | peinaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | peina |
| él/ella/Ud. | peine |
| nosotros/as | peinemos |
| vosotros/as | peinad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | peinen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | peines |
| él/ella/Ud. | peine |
| nosotros/as | peinemos |
| vosotros/as | peinéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | peinen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | peinando | with estar for the progressive: estoy peinando |
| Past participle | peinado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he peinado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For peinar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo peino a mi hija — "I comb my daughter". Learn the present indicative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For peinar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo peiné delante del espejo — "I combed in front of the mirror". Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For peinar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo peinaba el pelo — "I used to comb my hair". Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For peinar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo peinaré a mi hija — "I will comb my daughter". Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For peinar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo peinaría delante del espejo — "I would comb in front of the mirror". Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. It connects the past with the present moment. For peinar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he peinado el pelo — "I have combed my hair". Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For peinar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había peinado a mi hija — "I had combed my daughter". Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For peinar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré peinado delante del espejo — "I will have combed in front of the mirror". Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. It looks back at a past that never happened. For peinar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría peinado el pelo — "I would have combed my hair". Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For peinar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él peine a mi hija — "I hope he combs my daughter". Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For peinar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo peinara delante del espejo, todo cambiaría — "If I combed in front of the mirror, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For peinar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Peine el pelo — "Let him comb my hair". Learn the imperative (affirmative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For peinar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No peines a mi hija — "Don't comb my daughter". Learn the imperative (negative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with peinar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo peino delante del espejo — "I comb in front of the mirror"
- Él peina el pelo — "He combs my hair"
- Yo peiné a mi hija — "I combed my daughter"
- Yo peinaba delante del espejo — "I used to comb in front of the mirror"
- Tú peinarás el pelo — "You will comb my hair"
- Yo peinaría a mi hija — "I would comb my daughter"
- Él ha peinado delante del espejo — "He has combed in front of the mirror"
- Espero que él peine el pelo — "I hope he combs my hair"
- Yo había peinado a mi hija — "I had combed my daughter"
- Ellos peinaban delante del espejo — "They used to comb in front of the mirror"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos peina el pelo — Right: Ellos peinan el pelo — Ellos needs the ellos form peinan. The singular peina belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo peino — Right: Ayer, yo peiné — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to peiné.
- Wrong: De niño, yo peiné todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo peinaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (peinaba), not the preterite. The preterite (peiné) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy peinado a mi hija. — Right: Yo he peinado a mi hija. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he peinado, has peinado, ha peinado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Treating peinar and peinarse as identical in every context. — Right: Peinar means to comb, while peinarse means to comb (one's hair). — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: peinar fits sentences such as Yo peino el pelo, while peinarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on peinar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el pelo. (present tense) A. habría peinado B. ha peinado C. habríais peinado D. peino
Complete the sentence: Él ___ el pelo. (preterite) A. habré peinado B. peinaran C. peinó D. peináis
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el pelo. (imperfect) A. habíamos peinado B. han peinado C. habréis peinado D. peinábamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ el pelo. (future) A. peinarás B. peinaban C. habrán peinado D. peinemos
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el pelo. (conditional) A. habrá peinado B. peinara C. peinaría D. peinarais
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el pelo. (present subjunctive) A. peine B. peino C. peinó D. habremos peinado
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el pelo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. has peinado B. peinaríamos C. habríamos peinado D. peinara
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el pelo. (present perfect) A. hemos peinado B. habría peinado C. peinabais D. peinasteis
Complete the command: No ___ el pelo. (negative imperative, tú) A. peines B. peine C. peinen D. peinéis
Which is the gerund of peinar, used with estar for the progressive? A. peinado B. peinaré C. peino D. peinando
Answer key
- peino — The yo present tense of peinar is peino.
- peinó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of peinar is peinó.
- peinábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of peinar is peinábamos.
- peinarás — The tú future of peinar is peinarás.
- peinaría — The yo conditional of peinar is peinaría.
- peine — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of peinar is peine.
- peinara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of peinar is peinara.
- hemos peinado — The nosotros/as present perfect of peinar is hemos peinado.
- peines — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: peines.
- peinando — The gerund of peinar is peinando: estoy peinando. The participle peinado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does peinar mean in English?
Peinar means to comb. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo peino el pelo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is peinar regular?
Yes. Peinar is a regular -ar verb: peino, peinas, peina. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the difference between peinar and peinarse?
Peinar means to comb, while peinarse means to comb (one's hair). They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use peinar when you mean to comb, as in Yo peino el pelo, and use peinarse for to comb (one's hair). When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I comb” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo peiné a mi hija. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo peinaba delante del espejo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he peinado el pelo.
How do I practise peinar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the peinar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Peinar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for peinar.
- Peinar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for peinar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Pelear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with peinar.
- Pelearse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with peinar.
- Perfeccionar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with peinar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.