Pellizcar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

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

Everyday use

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

  1. Yo pellizco a su hermano — "I pinch his brother"
  2. Él pellizca el brazo — "He pinches my arm"
  3. Yo pellizqué para despertarlo — "I pinched to wake him up"
  4. Yo pellizcaba a su hermano — "I used to pinch his brother"
  5. Yo pellizcaré el brazo — "I will pinch my arm"
  6. Yo he pellizcado para despertarlo — "I have pinched to wake him up"

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 pellizcó para despertarlo — "He pinched to wake him up"
  2. Él pellizcaba a su hermano — "He used to pinch his brother"
  3. Tú pellizcarás el brazo — "You will pinch my arm"
  4. Yo pellizcaría para despertarlo — "I would pinch to wake him up"
  5. Yo había pellizcado a su hermano — "I had pinched his brother"
  6. Nosotros pellizcamos el brazo — "We pinch my arm"

Pellizcar in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú pellizcas a su hermano? — "Do you pinch his brother?"
  • Sí, yo pellizco a su hermano cada día. — "Yes, I pinch his brother every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú pellizcaste el brazo? — "And yesterday? Did you pinch my arm?"
  • Sí, yo pellizqué el brazo. — "Yes, I pinched my arm."
  • Mañana, yo pellizcaré para despertarlo también. — "Tomorrow, I will pinch to wake him up too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros pellizcáis a su hermano? — "Do you pinch his brother?"
  • Sí, nosotros pellizcamos a su hermano los fines de semana. — "Yes, We pinch his brother at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos pellizcan el brazo? — "And them? Do they pinch my arm?"
  • Sí, ellos pellizcan el brazo también. — "Yes, They pinch my arm too."
  • Mañana nosotros pellizcaremos el brazo otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will pinch my arm again."

Useful phrases with pellizcar

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

  • Voy a pellizcar a su hermano. — "I am going to pinch his brother."
  • Quiero pellizcar el brazo. — "I want to pinch my arm."
  • Me gusta pellizcar para despertarlo. — "I like to pinch to wake him up."
  • Acabo de pellizcar a su hermano. — "I have just pinched his brother."

Common mistakes with pellizcar in everyday use

Mistake 1

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

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo pellizqué.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo pellizco.
  • 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: Yo soy pellizcado el brazo.
  • Right: Yo he pellizcado el brazo.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he pellizcado, has pellizcado, ha pellizcado.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

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

Quiz: pellizcar in use

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

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

  • (a) pellizco
  • (b) pellizcarais
  • (c) pellizcad
  • (d) pellizcara

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

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

  • (a) pellizca
  • (b) pellizcasteis
  • (c) pellizcó
  • (d) habrán pellizcado

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

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

  • (a) pellizcó
  • (b) pellizcaréis
  • (c) pellizques
  • (d) había pellizcado

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

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

  • (a) habrías pellizcado
  • (b) habrían pellizcado
  • (c) pellizcaba
  • (d) pellizcarais

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

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

  • (a) ha pellizcado
  • (b) pellizcábamos
  • (c) pellizcaré
  • (d) habríamos pellizcado

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

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

  • (a) pellizcad
  • (b) he pellizcado
  • (c) pellizcaréis
  • (d) pellizcarás

Answer: (b) he pellizcado. The I form in the present perfect is he pellizcado.

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

  • (a) pellizques
  • (b) pellizquen
  • (c) pellizquemos
  • (d) pellizque

Answer: (d) pellizque. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is pellizque.

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

  • (a) habríais pellizcado
  • (b) habrás pellizcado
  • (c) pellizcamos
  • (d) pellizcasteis

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

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

  • (a) he pellizcado
  • (b) pellizqué
  • (c) pellizcaréis
  • (d) pellizques

Answer: (b) pellizqué. The I form in the preterite is pellizqué.

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

  • (a) pellizcan
  • (b) habíamos pellizcado
  • (c) pellizcasteis
  • (d) habéis pellizcado

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

Frequently asked questions about pellizcar

Is pellizcar regular?

Pellizcar is a spelling-changing -ar (c → qu before e) verb: pellizco, pellizcas, pellizca. See the full conjugation of pellizcar for every tense.

What is the past participle of pellizcar?

The past participle is pellizcado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he pellizcado. The gerund is pellizcando, used with estar: estoy pellizcando.

How do I say “I pinch” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo pellizqué el brazo. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo pellizcaba para despertarlo.

How can I practise pellizcar?

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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