Pelearse Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

pelearse means "to fight, to quarrel" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows pelearse 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 pelearse, 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 pelearse

To fight

Pelearse means to fight. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Yo me peleo con su hermano — "I fight with his brother"
  2. Él se pelea por nada — "He fights over nothing"
  3. Yo me peleé en el patio — "I fought in the yard"
  4. Yo me peleaba con su hermano — "I used to fight with his brother"
  5. Yo me pelearé por nada — "I will fight over nothing"
  6. Yo me he peleado en el patio — "I have fought in the yard"

To quarrel

Pelearse means to quarrel. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Él se peleó en el patio — "He fought in the yard"
  2. Él se peleaba con su hermano — "He used to fight with his brother"
  3. Tú te pelearás por nada — "You will fight over nothing"
  4. Yo me pelearía en el patio — "I would fight in the yard"
  5. Yo me había peleado con su hermano — "I had fought with his brother"
  6. Nosotros nos peleamos por nada — "We fight over nothing"

Pelearse in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú te peleas con su hermano? — "Do you fight with his brother?"
  • Sí, yo me peleo con su hermano cada día. — "Yes, I fight with his brother every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú te peleaste por nada? — "And yesterday? Did you fight over nothing?"
  • Sí, yo me peleé por nada. — "Yes, I fought over nothing."
  • Mañana, yo me pelearé en el patio también. — "Tomorrow, I will fight in the yard too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros os peleáis con su hermano? — "Do you fight with his brother?"
  • Sí, nosotros nos peleamos con su hermano los fines de semana. — "Yes, We fight with his brother at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos se pelean por nada? — "And them? Do they fight over nothing?"
  • Sí, ellos se pelean por nada también. — "Yes, They fight over nothing too."
  • Mañana nosotros nos pelearemos por nada otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will fight over nothing again."

Useful phrases with pelearse

Four patterns you can use with pelearse in any conversation. The reflexive pronoun attaches to the end of the infinitive: pelearme. Only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a pelearme con su hermano. — "I am going to fight with his brother."
  • Quiero pelearme por nada. — "I want to fight over nothing."
  • Me gusta pelearme en el patio. — "I like to fight in the yard."
  • Acabo de pelearme con su hermano. — "I have just fought with his brother."

Common mistakes with pelearse in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Yo peleo con su hermano.
  • Right: Yo me peleo con su hermano.
  • Why: Pelearse is reflexive: the pronoun me is required. Without it, peleo means something else, or nothing at all.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo me peleé.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo me 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: Pelearse es lo mismo que pelear.
  • Right: Pelearse means to fight; pelear means to fight.
  • Why: Pelearse and pelear describe different things. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo me peleo.
  • Right: Ayer, yo me 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 se pelee con su hermano.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: pelee. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: pelearse in use

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

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

  • (a) peleo
  • (b) he peleado
  • (c) habéis peleado
  • (d) peleaban

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

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

  • (a) pelearía
  • (b) pelea
  • (c) habréis peleado
  • (d) peleáis

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

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

  • (a) habíais peleado
  • (b) peleó
  • (c) peleaban
  • (d) pelearíais

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

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

  • (a) pelearía
  • (b) peleabas
  • (c) peleaba
  • (d) habréis peleado

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

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

  • (a) pelearé
  • (b) pelearían
  • (c) peleará
  • (d) pelea

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

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

  • (a) había peleado
  • (b) pelee
  • (c) he peleado
  • (d) pelean

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

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

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

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

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

  • (a) peleéis
  • (b) peleaban
  • (c) has peleado
  • (d) peleamos

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

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

  • (a) peleé
  • (b) peleéis
  • (c) peleabais
  • (d) habían peleado

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

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

  • (a) pelean
  • (b) pelearían
  • (c) peleé
  • (d) has peleado

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

Frequently asked questions about pelearse

Is pelearse reflexive?

Yes. The pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se go with the verb in every tense: me peleo, te peleas, se pelea. The tables show the verb forms; add the pronoun in front.

What is the difference between pelearse and pelear?

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

How do I say “I fight” in the past?

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

How can I practise pelearse?

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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