peinar
“peinar” means “to comb” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to comb
Also: to style
📝 In Action
Necesito peinar a mi hijo antes de la escuela.
A1I need to comb my son's hair before school.
Ella siempre se peina frente al espejo.
A2She always combs her hair in front of the mirror.
El peluquero peinó a la novia con mucho cuidado.
B1The hairdresser styled the bride's hair very carefully.
to scour
Also: to comb through
📝 In Action
La policía peinó el bosque buscando al excursionista perdido.
B2The police scoured the forest looking for the lost hiker.
Peinaron toda la zona pero no encontraron nada.
B2They combed through the whole area but found nothing.
Los investigadores peinan los archivos en busca de pruebas.
C1Investigators are combing through the archives in search of evidence.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: peinar
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence means 'I comb my own hair'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'pectinare', which also means to comb hair, derived from 'pecten' (a comb).
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between peinar and cepillar?
Peinar is the general word for styling or using a comb (un peine). Cepillar is specifically for using a brush (un cepillo).
Do I always need to use 'se' with peinar?
No. Use 'peinarse' if you do it to yourself. Use 'peinar' if you are combing someone else's hair or searching a place.
Is 'peinar' regular in all tenses?
Yes! It follows the standard rules for all '-ar' verbs, making it very easy to conjugate.