pegarle

/peh-GAHR-leh/

to hit him/her/it

A wooden mallet striking a large colorful drum.

A mallet hitting a drum to show the physical action of 'pegarle'.

pegarle(verb)

A2spelling change ar

to hit him/her/it

physical contact

Also:

to strike it

sports or objects

to beat him/her

physical aggression

📝 In Action

Tienes que pegarle a la pelota con fuerza.

You have to hit the ball with strength.

No está bien pegarle a los demás.

It is not right to hit others.

Word Connections

Synonyms

golpearle (to strike/hit him/her)

Antonyms

acariciarle (to caress him/her)

Common Collocations

pegarle fuerte – to hit it hard
pegarle a la pelota – to hit the ball

Idioms & Expressions

pegarle fuego – to set something on fire

💡 Grammar Points

The 'le' pronoun

The 'le' attached to the end means 'him,' 'her,' 'it,' or 'you (formal).' It tells you who or what is receiving the hit.

Spelling Change

In the past tense 'I' form, the 'g' changes to 'gu' (pegué) to keep the sound hard like 'game' instead of soft like 'giraffe'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'lo' instead of 'le'

Mistake: "No está bien pegarlo."

Correction: No está bien pegarle.

⭐ Usage Tips

Natural Sound

In casual speech, if you hit a target or guess something right, you use 'le' even if you don't mention the person again.

A bright red arrow stuck exactly in the center of a target's bullseye.

An arrow hitting the bullseye to represent 'pegarle' as getting something right.

pegarle(verb)

to get it right

making a guess or prediction

Also:

to nail it

achieving precision

to hit the jackpot

winning or luck

📝 In Action

¡Le pegaste al gordo!

You hit the jackpot! (You got it exactly right!)

Creo que le pegaste con esa respuesta.

I think you nailed it with that answer.

Word Connections

Synonyms

acertar (to get right/hit the mark)
atinar (to succeed in guessing)

Antonyms

fallar (to fail/miss)

Common Collocations

pegarle al clavo – to hit the nail on the head

💡 Grammar Points

Figurative Use

Just like 'hitting the mark' in English, Spanish uses 'hitting' (pegar) to mean you were accurate.

⭐ Usage Tips

Excitement

Use '¡Le pegaste!' to show someone you are impressed by their correct guess.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesle pegaran

yole pegara

túle pegaras

vosotrosle pegarais

nosotrosle pegáramos

él/ella/ustedle pegara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesle peguen

yole pegue

túle pegues

vosotrosle peguéis

nosotrosle peguemos

él/ella/ustedle pegue

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesle pegaron

yole pegué

túle pegaste

vosotrosle pegasteis

nosotrosle pegamos

él/ella/ustedle pegó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesle pegaban

yole pegaba

túle pegabas

vosotrosle pegabais

nosotrosle pegábamos

él/ella/ustedle pegaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesle pegan

yole pego

túle pegas

vosotrosle pegáis

nosotrosle pegamos

él/ella/ustedle pega

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pegarle

Question 1 of 2

If you are playing soccer and someone says '¡Pégale!', what should you do?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pegar(to hit / to stick) - verb

pegamento(glue) - noun

pegajoso(sticky) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the word change to 'pégale'?

When you give a command (the imperative), the accent moves to the 'e' to keep the stress on the right syllable when the 'le' is attached.

Can 'pegarle' mean 'to glue it'?

While 'pegar' means to glue, when you add 'le' as an object, it almost always refers to hitting or striking someone/something.