Pelearse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb pelearse means to fight — it also means to quarrel, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Pelearse is a regular -ar, reflexive verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. Pelearse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, me peleo con su hermano means "I fight with his brother". Without the pronoun, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of pelearse 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 me peleo con su hermano — "I fight with his brother" — and in the preterite you say Yo me peleé por nada — "I fought over nothing". 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: pelearse
  • English: to fight, to quarrel
  • Verb type: regular -ar, reflexive verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: peleando
  • Past participle: peleado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + peleado)
  • 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 pelearse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Pelearse is reflexive: me peleo, te peleas. Without the pronoun, pelear means something else — it acts on someone or something else, not on yourself.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for pelearse. 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: peleando · Past participle: peleado

Present indicative

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peleo
tú te peleas
él/ella/Ud. se pelea
nosotros/as nos peleamos
vosotros/as os peleáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se pelean

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peleé
tú te peleaste
él/ella/Ud. se peleó
nosotros/as nos peleamos
vosotros/as os peleasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se pelearon

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peleaba
tú te peleabas
él/ella/Ud. se peleaba
nosotros/as nos peleábamos
vosotros/as os peleabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peleaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me pelearé
tú te pelearás
él/ella/Ud. se peleará
nosotros/as nos pelearemos
vosotros/as os pelearéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se pelearán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me pelearía
tú te pelearías
él/ella/Ud. se pelearía
nosotros/as nos pelearíamos
vosotros/as os pelearíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se pelearían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me pelee
tú te pelees
él/ella/Ud. se pelee
nosotros/as nos peleemos
vosotros/as os peleéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peleen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me peleara
tú te pelearas
él/ella/Ud. se peleara
nosotros/as nos peleáramos
vosotros/as os pelearais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se pelearan

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te pelea
él/ella/Ud. se pelee
nosotros/as nos peleemos
vosotros/as os pelead
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peleen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te pelees
él/ella/Ud. se pelee
nosotros/as nos peleemos
vosotros/as os peleéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se peleen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund peleando with estar for the progressive: estoy peleando (or me estoy peleando for this reflexive verb)
Past participle peleado with haber for the perfect tenses: he peleado

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 pelearse, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me peleo por nada — "I fight over nothing". 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 pelearse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me peleé en el patio — "I fought in the yard". 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 pelearse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me peleaba con su hermano — "I used to fight with his brother". 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 pelearse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me pelearé por nada — "I will fight over nothing". 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 pelearse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me pelearía en el patio — "I would fight in the yard". 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 pelearse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me he peleado con su hermano — "I have fought with his brother". 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 pelearse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me había peleado por nada — "I had fought over nothing". 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 pelearse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me habré peleado en el patio — "I will have fought in the yard". 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 pelearse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me habría peleado con su hermano — "I would have fought with his brother". 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 pelearse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se pelee por nada — "I hope he fights over nothing". 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 pelearse, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo me peleara en el patio, todo cambiaría — "If I fought in the yard, 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 pelearse, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Que se pelee con su hermano — "Let him fight with his brother". 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 pelearse, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No te pelees por nada — "Don't fight over nothing". 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 pelearse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo me peleo en el patio — "I fight in the yard"
  2. Él se pelea con su hermano — "He fights with his brother"
  3. Yo me peleé por nada — "I fought over nothing"
  4. Yo me peleaba en el patio — "I used to fight in the yard"
  5. Tú te pelearás con su hermano — "You will fight with his brother"
  6. Yo me pelearía por nada — "I would fight over nothing"
  7. Él se ha peleado en el patio — "He has fought in the yard"
  8. Espero que él se pelee con su hermano — "I hope he fights with his brother"
  9. Yo me había peleado por nada — "I had fought over nothing"
  10. Ellos se peleaban en el patio — "They used to fight in the yard"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo peleo con su hermano — Right: Yo me peleo con su hermano — Pelearse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer, yo me peleo — Right: Ayer, yo me peleé — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to peleé.
  3. Wrong: De niño, yo me peleé todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo me peleaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (peleaba), not the preterite. The preterite (peleé) is for one finished action.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy peleado por nada. — Right: Yo me he peleado por nada. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he peleado, has peleado, ha peleado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: Treating pelearse and pelear as identical in every context. — Right: Pelearse means to fight, while pelear means to fight. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: pelearse fits sentences such as Yo me peleo con su hermano, while pelear belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo me ___ con su hermano. (present tense) A. peleo B. pelearéis C. ha peleado D. habrán peleado

  2. Complete the sentence: Él se ___ con su hermano. (preterite) A. habían peleado B. peleó C. peleaban D. habíamos peleado

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros nos ___ con su hermano. (imperfect) A. habríamos peleado B. peleábamos C. han peleado D. pelearas

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú te ___ con su hermano. (future) A. peleó B. peleemos C. pelearás D. habré peleado

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo me ___ con su hermano. (conditional) A. peleas B. pelearía C. peleaba D. habrá peleado

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ con su hermano. (present subjunctive) A. habrás peleado B. pelead C. pelee D. pelea

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo me ___ con su hermano, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. peleara B. pelearía C. pelearan D. has peleado

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros nos ___ con su hermano. (present perfect) A. hemos peleado B. has peleado C. he peleado D. pelearías

  9. Complete the command: No te ___ con su hermano. (negative imperative, tú) A. pelees B. peleemos C. peleen D. peleéis

  10. Which is the gerund of pelearse, used with estar for the progressive? A. peleaba B. peleando C. peleo D. pelearé

Answer key

  1. me peleo — The yo present tense of pelearse is me peleo.
  2. se peleó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of pelearse is se peleó.
  3. nos peleábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of pelearse is nos peleábamos.
  4. te pelearás — The tú future of pelearse is te pelearás.
  5. me pelearía — The yo conditional of pelearse is me pelearía.
  6. se pelee — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of pelearse is se pelee.
  7. me peleara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of pelearse is me peleara.
  8. nos hemos peleado — The nosotros/as present perfect of pelearse is nos hemos peleado.
  9. te pelees — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te pelees.
  10. peleando — The gerund of pelearse is peleando: estoy peleando. The participle peleado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does pelearse mean in English?

Pelearse means to fight, to quarrel. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo me peleo con su hermano. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is pelearse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Pelearse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Yo me peleo con su hermano and Él se pelea por nada. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between pelearse and pelear?

Pelearse means to fight, while pelear means to fight. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use pelearse when you mean to fight, as in Yo me peleo con su hermano, and use pelear for to fight. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I fight” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo me peleé por nada. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo me peleaba en el patio. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo me he peleado con su hermano.

How do I practise pelearse?

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

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