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pegar

peh-GARpeˈɣaɾ

to hit, to punch

Also: to strike
VerbA1regular (with minor spelling change) ar
A cartoon child wearing boxing gloves lightly hitting a red punching bag.
infinitivepegar
gerundpegando
past Participlepegado

📝 In Action

El niño no quería pegar a su hermano.

A1

The boy didn't want to hit his brother.

El boxeador pegó un golpe limpio al oponente.

A2

The boxer landed a clean punch on the opponent.

Si le pegas a la puerta, se va a romper.

A1

If you hit the door, it's going to break.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • golpear (to hit)
  • dar un puñetazo (to punch)

Common Collocations

  • pegar fuerte – to hit hard
  • pegar un grito – to yell/shout (literally: to strike a shout)

to stick, to glue

Also: to paste, to attach
VerbA2regular (with minor spelling change) ar
A piece of bright yellow tape firmly sticking a small blue paper square onto a plain wall.

📝 In Action

Necesitas pegamento para pegar las dos piezas de madera.

A2

You need glue to stick the two pieces of wood together.

La etiqueta no pega bien en esta superficie.

A2

The label doesn't stick well on this surface.

Pegué el póster en la pared de mi habitación.

A2

I stuck the poster on my bedroom wall.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • adherir (to adhere)
  • encolar (to glue (specifically with 'cola'))

Common Collocations

  • pegar con cinta – to tape/stick with tape
  • pegar algo – to glue something

to infect, to transmit

Also: to catch (a habit), to be contagious
VerbB1regular (with minor spelling change) ar
A small, round, green cartoon microbe floating between two friendly cartoon figures, symbolizing transmission.

📝 In Action

No te acerques, no quiero pegarte la tos.

B1

Don't come near, I don't want to give you (infect you with) the cough.

Esa canción pegó muy fuerte el año pasado.

B2

That song became very popular (caught on) last year. (Informal)

Su mala suerte se me pegó.

B1

His bad luck rubbed off on me (stuck to me).

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • pegar la gripe – to transmit the flu
  • pegarse la risa – to catch the laughter (to start laughing because others are)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedpega
yopego
túpegas
ellos/ellas/ustedespegan
nosotrospegamos
vosotrospegáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpegaba
yopegaba
túpegabas
ellos/ellas/ustedespegaban
nosotrospegábamos
vosotrospegabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedpegó
yopegué
túpegaste
ellos/ellas/ustedespegaron
nosotrospegamos
vosotrospegasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedpegue
yopegue
túpegues
ellos/ellas/ustedespeguen
nosotrospeguemos
vosotrospeguéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpegara
yopegara
túpegaras
ellos/ellas/ustedespegaran
nosotrospegáramos
vosotrospegarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pegar

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'pegar' in the sense of 'to stick or glue'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
pegamento(glue, adhesive) — Noun
pegadizo(catchy (for music); sticky) — Adjective
pegada(a punch or hit (noun)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin verb *pactare*, which meant 'to fasten' or 'to fix firmly.' This root explains both the meaning of 'to stick/glue' (fastening something) and 'to hit' (fixing a blow firmly).

First recorded: Around the 13th century in its current form.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: pegarCatalan: apegar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'pegar' rude when it means 'to hit'?

While it simply means 'to hit' or 'to strike,' the context often implies violence, so you should be mindful of the situation. For sports or non-violent actions (like hitting a ball), it is perfectly neutral.

How do I say 'to stick around' or 'to stay close' using 'pegar'?

You would use the reflexive form 'pegarse a alguien/algo' (to stick oneself to someone/something). For example, 'El niño se pegó a su madre' means 'The child stayed close to/clung to his mother.'