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moler

mo-LEHR/moˈleɾ/

“moler” means “to grind” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to grind

Also: to mill, to crush
VerbA2stem-changing (o to ue) er
A stone mortar and pestle crushing whole spices into a fine powder.
gerundmoliendo
past Participlemolido
infinitivemoler

📝 In Action

Necesito moler los granos de café para el desayuno.

A2

I need to grind the coffee beans for breakfast.

El antiguo molino muerde el trigo para hacer harina.

B1

The old mill grinds the wheat to make flour.

Muele la pimienta directamente sobre la carne.

A2

Grind the pepper directly onto the meat.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • triturar (to crush/shred)
  • pulverizar (to pulverize)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • pimienta molida – ground pepper
  • café recién molido – freshly ground coffee

to exhaust

Also: to pester, to beat up
VerbB2stem-changing (o to ue) erinformal
A tired person sitting on a park bench with their head down and a heavy backpack on the ground.

📝 In Action

Ese partido de fútbol me molió.

B2

That soccer game wore me out.

Deja de molerme a preguntas.

B1

Stop pestering me with questions.

Estoy molido después de trabajar doce horas.

B1

I am exhausted (literally 'ground up') after working twelve hours.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • moler a palos – to beat up with a stick/severely
  • moler a preguntas – to pepper with questions

Idioms & Expressions

  • Estar molido – To be extremely tired or sore.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesmolieran
yomoliera
túmolieras
vosotrosmolierais
nosotrosmoliéramos
él/ella/ustedmoliera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesmuelan
yomuela
túmuelas
vosotrosmoláis
nosotrosmolamos
él/ella/ustedmuela

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesmolieron
yomolí
túmoliste
vosotrosmolisteis
nosotrosmolimos
él/ella/ustedmolió

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesmolían
yomolía
túmolías
vosotrosmolíais
nosotrosmolíamos
él/ella/ustedmolía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesmuelen
yomuelo
túmueles
vosotrosmoléis
nosotrosmolemos
él/ella/ustedmuele
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "moler" in Spanish:

to crush→to exhaust→to grind→to mill→to pester→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: moler

Question 1 of 3

Which form of 'moler' is correct for 'I grind'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
molino(mill) — Noun
molinillo(grinder (usually for coffee/spices)) — Noun
molienda(the act of grinding) — Noun
muela(molar tooth or millstone) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'molere', which means to grind or crush grain. This root is shared with many English words related to milling.

First recorded: 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: millFrench: moudreItalian: macinare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'moler' always change to 'muel-'?

No. It only changes when the stress falls on that syllable. In the 'nosotros' form (molemos) and 'vosotros' form (moléis), it keeps the 'o'.

What is the difference between 'moler' and 'triturar'?

'Moler' is usually used for turning things into fine powder (like coffee or flour), while 'triturar' is more general for shredding or crushing into smaller pieces.

Can I use 'moler' to say someone is annoying me?

Yes, but it's very informal. You usually use the expression 'moler a...' followed by what is being done, like 'moler a preguntas' (pester with questions).