luchar
/loo-CHAR/
to fight
Luchar can mean "to fight" in a physical combat sense.
luchar(verb)
to fight
?physical combat
,to wrestle
?as a sport
to scrap
?informal fighting
📝 In Action
Los niños lucharon por el juguete, pero nadie resultó herido.
A2The children fought over the toy, but nobody was hurt.
El campeón de boxeo tendrá que luchar contra un oponente muy fuerte.
B1The boxing champion will have to fight against a very strong opponent.
💡 Grammar Points
Regular -AR Verb
Luchar follows the normal pattern for verbs ending in -ar. Once you learn the pattern for verbs like 'hablar' (to speak), 'luchar' is easy to conjugate!
When facing challenges or difficulties, luchar translates to "to struggle."
luchar(verb)
to struggle
?against difficulty/illness
,to strive
?to achieve a goal
,to campaign
?for a cause or right
to battle
?figurative sense
📝 In Action
Mi abuela luchó toda su vida por la igualdad de las mujeres.
B1My grandmother struggled/campaigned her entire life for women's equality.
Luchamos contra la corrupción en el gobierno.
B2We are fighting against corruption in the government.
Tienes que luchar por tus sueños.
B1You have to strive/fight for your dreams.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Por' vs. 'Contra'
Mistake: "Luchamos a favor los derechos (We fight in favor the rights)"
Correction: Luchamos por los derechos. Use 'luchar por' when striving for a goal, and 'luchar contra' when opposing something.
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on the struggle, not the result
Use 'luchar' when emphasizing the effort and the ongoing difficulty. If you want to talk about winning a war, you might use 'ganar' (to win) instead.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: luchar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'luchar' in its figurative meaning (to strive or campaign)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre 'luchar' y 'pelear'?
'Luchar' often implies a serious or organized struggle, whether physical (wrestling) or figurative (fighting for a cause). 'Pelear' is usually used for less formal disputes, quarrels, or brief fights (like two people having a heated argument or a small fistfight).
Does 'luchar' need a special verb form (subjunctive) in common sentences?
Not usually. 'Luchar' itself is an action, and you usually use it in the regular indicative form: 'Yo lucho' (I fight). It would only trigger a special form on a *second* verb if you said something like 'Es necesario que [alguien] luche' (It is necessary that [someone] fights).