Pelear Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

pelear means "to fight" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows pelear in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of pelear, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.

Example sentences with pelear

Everyday use

Pelear means to fight. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.

  1. Yo peleo con su hermano — "I fight with his brother"
  2. Él pelea por el último trozo — "He fights over the last piece"
  3. Yo peleé en el patio — "I fought in the yard"
  4. Yo peleaba con su hermano — "I used to fight with his brother"
  5. Yo pelearé por el último trozo — "I will fight over the last piece"
  6. Yo he peleado en el patio — "I have fought in the yard"

In the past and the future

The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.

  1. Él peleó en el patio — "He fought in the yard"
  2. Él peleaba con su hermano — "He used to fight with his brother"
  3. Tú pelearás por el último trozo — "You will fight over the last piece"
  4. Yo pelearía en el patio — "I would fight in the yard"
  5. Yo había peleado con su hermano — "I had fought with his brother"
  6. Nosotros peleamos por el último trozo — "We fight over the last piece"

Pelear in conversation

The two dialogues below show pelear in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú peleas con su hermano? — "Do you fight with his brother?"
  • Sí, yo peleo con su hermano cada día. — "Yes, I fight with his brother every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú peleaste por el último trozo? — "And yesterday? Did you fight over the last piece?"
  • Sí, yo peleé por el último trozo. — "Yes, I fought over the last piece."
  • Mañana, yo pelearé en el patio también. — "Tomorrow, I will fight in the yard too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros peleáis con su hermano? — "Do you fight with his brother?"
  • Sí, nosotros peleamos con su hermano los fines de semana. — "Yes, We fight with his brother at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos pelean por el último trozo? — "And them? Do they fight over the last piece?"
  • Sí, ellos pelean por el último trozo también. — "Yes, They fight over the last piece too."
  • Mañana nosotros pelearemos por el último trozo otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will fight over the last piece again."

Useful phrases with pelear

Four patterns you can use with pelear in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a pelear con su hermano. — "I am going to fight with his brother."
  • Quiero pelear por el último trozo. — "I want to fight over the last piece."
  • Me gusta pelear en el patio. — "I like to fight in the yard."
  • Acabo de pelear con su hermano. — "I have just fought with his brother."

Common mistakes with pelear in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos pelea con su hermano.
  • Right: Ellos pelean con su hermano.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form pelean. The singular pelea belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo peleé.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo peleo.
  • Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.

Mistake 3

  • Wrong: Pelear es lo mismo que pelearse.
  • Right: Pelear means to fight; pelearse means to fight, to quarrel.
  • Why: Pelear and pelearse describe different things. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo peleo.
  • Right: Ayer, yo peleé.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (peleé). The present (peleo) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él pelea con su hermano.
  • Right: Espero que él pelee con su hermano.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: pelee. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: pelear in use

Ten questions on pelear across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of pelear in the present tense?

  • (a) pelead
  • (b) peleabas
  • (c) peleo
  • (d) pelearías

Answer: (c) peleo. The I form in the present is peleo.

2. What is the he / she form of pelear in the present tense?

  • (a) pelea
  • (b) has peleado
  • (c) peleáis
  • (d) habéis peleado

Answer: (a) pelea. The he / she form in the present is pelea.

3. What is the he / she form of pelear in the preterite tense?

  • (a) peleó
  • (b) habrán peleado
  • (c) peleéis
  • (d) habíamos peleado

Answer: (a) peleó. The he / she form in the preterite is peleó.

4. What is the I form of pelear in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) habían peleado
  • (b) peleaba
  • (c) habíais peleado
  • (d) pelees

Answer: (b) peleaba. The I form in the imperfect is peleaba.

5. What is the I form of pelear in the future tense?

  • (a) peleé
  • (b) pelearán
  • (c) pelearé
  • (d) he peleado

Answer: (c) pelearé. The I form in the future is pelearé.

6. What is the I form of pelear in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) peleaba
  • (b) peleó
  • (c) pelees
  • (d) he peleado

Answer: (d) he peleado. The I form in the present perfect is he peleado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con su hermano.

  • (a) pelees
  • (b) peleemos
  • (c) pelee
  • (d) peleéis

Answer: (c) pelee. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is pelee.

8. What is the we form of pelear in the present tense?

  • (a) peleéis
  • (b) peleáis
  • (c) peleamos
  • (d) peleé

Answer: (c) peleamos. The we form in the present is peleamos.

9. What is the I form of pelear in the preterite tense?

  • (a) peleé
  • (b) pelearás
  • (c) había peleado
  • (d) peleo

Answer: (a) peleé. The I form in the preterite is peleé.

10. What is the they form of pelear in the present tense?

  • (a) pelearía
  • (b) pelean
  • (c) habré peleado
  • (d) peleemos

Answer: (b) pelean. The they form in the present is pelean.

Frequently asked questions about pelear

Is pelear regular?

Yes. Pelear is a regular -ar verb: peleo, peleas, pelea. See the full conjugation of pelear for every tense.

What is the difference between pelear and pelearse?

Pelear means to fight. Pelearse means to fight, to quarrel. Use pelear when you mean to fight, as in Yo peleo con su hermano.

How do I say “I fight” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo peleé por el último trozo. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo peleaba en el patio.

How can I practise pelear?

Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.

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