How to Say "quarrel" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “quarrel” is “discutir” — use 'discutir' when you want to describe the action of having an argument or a disagreement, often involving verbal back-and-forth..
discutir
dis-koo-TEER/dis.kuˈtiɾ/
Examples
No me gusta discutir con mi jefe.
I don't like to argue with my boss.
Están discutiendo por quién tiene que lavar los platos.
They are arguing over who has to wash the dishes.
El jugador discutió la decisión del árbitro.
The player disputed the referee's decision.
The Preposition 'Con'
When 'discutir' means 'to argue,' you MUST use the word 'con' (with) before the person you are arguing with: 'Discutió con su hermano' (He argued with his brother).
The Preposition 'Por'
To explain the reason for the argument, use 'por': 'Discutimos por dinero' (We argued over money).
pelea
/peh-LEH-ah//peˈle.a/
Examples
Los niños tuvieron una pelea por el juguete.
The children had a fight over the toy.
Después de la pelea, no se hablaron por una semana.
After the argument, they didn't speak to each other for a week.
La vida es una pelea constante por nuestros sueños.
Life is a constant struggle for our dreams.
Using 'Tener una pelea'
To talk about a specific argument or fight that happened, you'll often use the phrase 'tener una pelea', which literally means 'to have a fight'. For example, 'Ayer tuve una pelea con mi jefe' (Yesterday I had an argument with my boss).
Fight vs. Struggle
Mistake: “Thinking 'pelea' only means a physical fight with fists.”
Correction: 'Pelea' is very flexible. It can be a verbal argument ('una pelea de pareja' - a couple's quarrel) or a metaphorical struggle ('la pelea contra la injusticia' - the fight against injustice).
Verb vs. Noun Confusion
Related Translations
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