Peinarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb peinarse means to comb (one's hair), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Peinarse means to comb or brush your own hair, and it belongs to the morning-routine group with levantarse, ducharse and vestirse. It can take an object — peinarse el pelo — and it is fully regular, so the reflexive pronoun and the hair vocabulary are the real learning points. Like every Spanish verb, peinarse changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say me peino delante del espejo, and in the preterite you say me peiné con el cepillo nuevo. 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: peinarse
  • English: to comb (one's hair)
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: peinando
  • Past participle: peinado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + peinado)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for peinarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Peinarse takes the hair as its object with the definite article: me peino el pelo, not me peino mi pelo.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for peinarse. 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.

Present indicative

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peino
tú te peinas
él/ella/Ud. se peina
nosotros/as nos peinamos
vosotros/as os peináis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peinan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peiné
tú te peinaste
él/ella/Ud. se peinó
nosotros/as nos peinamos
vosotros/as os peinasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peinaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peinaba
tú te peinabas
él/ella/Ud. se peinaba
nosotros/as nos peinábamos
vosotros/as os peinabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peinaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peinaré
tú te peinarás
él/ella/Ud. se peinará
nosotros/as nos peinaremos
vosotros/as os peinaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peinarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peinaría
tú te peinarías
él/ella/Ud. se peinaría
nosotros/as nos peinaríamos
vosotros/as os peinaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peinarían

Present perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me he peinado
tú te has peinado
él/ella/Ud. se ha peinado
nosotros/as nos hemos peinado
vosotros/as os habéis peinado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se han peinado

Pluperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me había peinado
tú te habías peinado
él/ella/Ud. se había peinado
nosotros/as nos habíamos peinado
vosotros/as os habíais peinado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habían peinado

Future perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habré peinado
tú te habrás peinado
él/ella/Ud. se habrá peinado
nosotros/as nos habremos peinado
vosotros/as os habréis peinado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrán peinado

Conditional perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habría peinado
tú te habrías peinado
él/ella/Ud. se habría peinado
nosotros/as nos habríamos peinado
vosotros/as os habríais peinado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrían peinado

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peine
tú te peines
él/ella/Ud. se peine
nosotros/as nos peinemos
vosotros/as os peinéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peinen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peinara
tú te peinaras
él/ella/Ud. se peinara
nosotros/as nos peináramos
vosotros/as os peinarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peinaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te peina
él/ella/Ud. se peine
nosotros/as nos peinemos
vosotros/as os peinad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peinen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te peines
él/ella/Ud. se peine
nosotros/as nos peinemos
vosotros/as os peinéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peinen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund peinando with estar for the progressive: estoy peinando (or me estoy peinando for this reflexive verb)
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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me peino delante del espejo. Learn the present 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 with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me peiné antes de salir de casa. 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 de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me peinaba con el cepillo nuevo. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me peinaré el pelo mojado después de la ducha. 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 with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me peinaría delante del espejo si pudiera. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he peinado antes de salir de casa. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había peinado con el cepillo nuevo antes de salir. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré peinado el pelo mojado después de la ducha. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría peinado delante del espejo con más tiempo. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se peine antes de salir de casa. 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 this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se peinara con el cepillo nuevo, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se peine el pelo mojado después de la ducha. Learn the affirmative imperative 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For peinarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te peines delante del espejo. Learn the negative imperative 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 peinarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me peino delante del espejo. — I comb in front of the mirror.
  2. Se peina antes de salir de casa. — He/she combs before leaving the house.
  3. Ayer, me peiné con el cepillo nuevo. — Yesterday, I combed with the new brush.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos peinábamos el pelo mojado después de la ducha. — Before, we used to comb after the shower.
  5. Mañana, tú te peinarás delante del espejo. — Tomorrow, you will comb in front of the mirror.
  6. Yo me peinaría antes de salir de casa si tuviera más tiempo. — I would comb before leaving the house if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha peinado con el cepillo nuevo. — He has combed with the new brush.
  8. Espero que él se peine el pelo mojado después de la ducha. — I hope he combs after the shower.
  9. Yo ya me había peinado delante del espejo antes de salir. — I had already combed in front of the mirror before leaving.
  10. Ellos se peinaban antes de salir de casa cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to comb before leaving the house when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo peino delante del espejo. — Right: Yo me peino delante del espejo. — Peinarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo peino antes de salir de casa. — Right: Ayer yo peiné antes de salir de casa. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: peino is happening now, while peiné is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating peinarse and peinar as identical in every context. — Right: Peinarse means to comb (one's hair), while peinar means to comb someone else's hair. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: peinarse fits sentences such as Me peino delante del espejo, while peinar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy peinado antes de salir de casa. — Right: Yo he peinado antes de salir de casa. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he peinado, has peinado, ha peinado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo peiné con el cepillo nuevo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo peinaba con el cepillo nuevo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (peinaba), not the preterite. The preterite (peiné) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on peinarse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ delante del espejo. (present tense) A. me peino B. te peinas C. se peina D. nos peinamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ antes de salir de casa. (preterite) A. me peiné B. te peinaste C. se peinaron D. se peinó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ con el cepillo nuevo. (imperfect) A. te peinabas B. se peinaban C. nos peinábamos D. me peinaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el pelo mojado después de la ducha. (future) A. nos peinaremos B. te peinarás C. me peinaré D. se peinará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ delante del espejo si pudiera. (conditional) A. me peinaría B. te peinarías C. se peinaría D. se peinarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ antes de salir de casa. (present subjunctive) A. me peine B. te peines C. nos peinemos D. se peine

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ con el cepillo nuevo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se peinara B. nos peináramos C. me peinara D. te peinaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el pelo mojado después de la ducha. (present perfect) A. se han peinado B. nos hemos peinado C. me he peinado D. te has peinado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ delante del espejo. (negative imperative, tú) A. te peines B. se peine C. nos peinemos D. os peinéis

  10. Which is the gerund of peinarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. peinado B. peino C. peiné D. peinando

Answer key

  1. me peino — The first-person present of peinarse is me peino. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se peinó — The third-person preterite of peinarse is se peinó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos peinábamos — The nosotros imperfect of peinarse is nos peinábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te peinarás — The second-person future of peinarse is te peinarás.
  5. me peinaría — The first-person conditional of peinarse is me peinaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se peine — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of peinarse is se peine.
  7. me peinara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of peinarse is me peinara.
  8. nos hemos peinado — The nosotros present perfect of peinarse is nos hemos peinado: hemos + peinado.
  9. te peines — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te peines.
  10. peinando — The gerund of peinarse is peinando: estoy peinando. The participle peinado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does peinarse mean in English?

Peinarse means to comb (one's hair). It is used in everyday situations such as Me peino delante del espejo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is peinarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Peinarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me peino delante del espejo and él se peina antes de salir de casa. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between peinarse and peinar?

Peinarse means to comb (one's hair), while peinar means to comb someone else's hair. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use peinarse when you mean to comb (one's hair), as in Me peino delante del espejo, and use peinar for to comb someone else's hair. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I comb (one's hair)” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me peiné antes de salir de casa. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me peinaba con el cepillo nuevo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he peinado antes de salir de casa.

How do I practise peinarse?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the peinarse examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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