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pelar

peh-LAHR/peˈlaɾ/

to peel

Also: to shell
VerbA1regular ar
A hand holding a small knife to remove the bright orange skin from a round orange fruit.
gerundpelando
past Participlepelado
infinitivepelar

📝 In Action

Necesito pelar las patatas para la cena.

A1

I need to peel the potatoes for dinner.

¿Puedes pelar esta manzana por mí?

A1

Can you peel this apple for me?

Estamos pelando cacahuetes mientras vemos la tele.

A2

We are shelling peanuts while we watch TV.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mondar (to peel/pare)
  • desvainar (to shell beans)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • pelar una fruta – to peel a fruit
  • pelar a mano – to peel by hand

to cut someone's hair

Also: to get a haircut
VerbB1regular arinformal
SpainMexico
A pair of silver scissors cutting a lock of brown hair.
gerundpelando
past Participlepelado
infinitivepelar

📝 In Action

Mi madre me peló en casa ayer.

B1

My mother cut my hair at home yesterday.

Tienes el pelo muy largo, deberías pelarte.

B1

Your hair is very long, you should get a haircut.

El peluquero pela muy bien en esa tienda.

B1

The barber cuts hair very well in that shop.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • cortar el pelo (to cut hair)
  • esquilar (to shear (animals))

Common Collocations

  • pelar al cero – to give a buzz cut / shave the head

to badmouth

Also: to criticize
VerbB2regular arslang
Chile
Two people whispering to each other while pointing at a person walking away in the distance.

📝 In Action

Siempre están pelando a la vecina.

B2

They are always badmouthing the neighbor.

No me gusta cuando la gente empieza a pelar a los demás.

B2

I don't like it when people start tearing others apart.

La pelaron en la reunión sin que ella estuviera.

C1

They criticized her in the meeting without her being there.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Idioms & Expressions

  • pelar la pava – to flirt or talk for a long time

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedespelaran
yopelara
túpelaras
vosotrospelarais
nosotrospeláramos
él/ella/ustedpelara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedespelen
yopele
túpeles
vosotrospeléis
nosotrospelemos
él/ella/ustedpele

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedespelaron
yopelé
túpelaste
vosotrospelasteis
nosotrospelamos
él/ella/ustedpeló

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedespelaban
yopelaba
túpelabas
vosotrospelabais
nosotrospelábamos
él/ella/ustedpelaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedespelan
yopelo
túpelas
vosotrospeláis
nosotrospelamos
él/ella/ustedpela
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "pelar" in Spanish:

to badmouth→to criticize→to peel→

🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pelar

Question 1 of 3

If you are in a kitchen and someone says 'Pela las papas,' what should you do?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
peladura(peel/skin (removed)) — Noun
pelado(peeled / bald / broke) — Adjective
peluquero(hairdresser) — Noun
pelapapas(potato peeler) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'pilāre', which meant to strip off hair or feathers (from 'pilus' meaning hair). Over time, the meaning expanded from removing hair to removing any outer layer, like the skin of a fruit.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: peelFrench: pelerItalian: pelare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'pelar' always regular?

Yes! 'Pelar' follows all the standard rules for verbs ending in -ar. It has no stem changes or irregular forms.

What is the difference between 'pelar' and 'mondar'?

'Pelar' is much more common. 'Mondar' is slightly more formal or specific to removing a very thin layer of skin with a knife, but in most cases, they are interchangeable.

Can I use 'pelar' for animals?

Yes, it can mean to pluck a bird or to shear a sheep, although 'esquilar' is more specific for sheep.