pelar — Spanish conjugation

to peel or to shave.

Frequency#833Regular

Indicative

Present (Presente) Regular

The present tense is the most versatile tense in Spanish. It covers actions happening right now, habitual actions, and even near-future plans. One form does the work of three English constructions.

Ella habla inglés — She speaks / is speaking English

PronounSpanish
yopelo
pelas
vospelás
él/ella/Ud.pela
nosotrospelamos
vosotrospeláis
ellos/ellas/Uds.pelan

Preterite (Pretérito indefinido) Regular

Used for completed past actions with a defined endpoint — a single event, a series of events, or an action that interrupted another. Common with time expressions like ayer, el lunes, una vez.

Ella habló de ti ayer — She spoke about you yesterday

PronounSpanish
yopelé
pelaste
vospelaste
él/ella/Ud.peló
nosotrospelamos
vosotrospelasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.pelaron

Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto) Regular

Describes ongoing or habitual past states — what things were like, background context, what used to happen. Contrasts with the preterite which marks completed events.

Cuando era niño vivía en Valencia — When I was a child I lived in Valencia

PronounSpanish
yopelaba
pelabas
vospelabas
él/ella/Ud.pelaba
nosotrospelábamos
vosotrospelabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.pelaban

Conditional (Condicional) Regular

Expresses hypothetical actions, polite requests, and what would happen under certain conditions. Also used for reported speech about the future from a past perspective.

¿Podrías ayudarme? — Could you help me?

PronounSpanish
yopelaría
pelarías
vospelarías
él/ella/Ud.pelaría
nosotrospelaríamos
vosotrospelaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds.pelarían

Future (Futuro) Regular

Expresses future actions, predictions, and probability about the present. Formed with the full infinitive as stem for most verbs. In spoken Spanish, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for near future.

Ella hablará en conferencia mañana — She will speak at the conference tomorrow

PronounSpanish
yopelaré
pelarás
vospelarás
él/ella/Ud.pelará
nosotrospelaremos
vosotrospelaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.pelarán

Present perfect (Pretérito perfecto) Regular

A compound past tense linking a past action to the present moment — something that has happened and still feels recent or relevant. More common in Spain than Latin America where preterite is preferred.

Hoy he hablado con el jefe — Today I have spoken with the boss

PronounSpanish
yohe pelado
has pelado
voshas pelado
él/ella/Ud.ha pelado
nosotroshemos pelado
vosotroshabéis pelado
ellos/ellas/Uds.han pelado

Pluperfect (Pretérito pluscuamperfecto) Regular

The past of the past — describes an action that was already completed before another past event happened. Always implies a reference point in the past.

Ya había hablado cuando llegaste — She had already spoken when you arrived

PronounSpanish
yohabía pelado
habías pelado
voshabías pelado
él/ella/Ud.había pelado
nosotroshabíamos pelado
vosotroshabíais pelado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían pelado

Conditional perfect (Condicional perfecto) Regular

Expresses what would have happened — actions that were possible but did not occur, or regrets about the past. Formed with conditional of haber + past participle.

Habría hablado, pero no me dejaron — I would have spoken, but they did not let me

PronounSpanish
yohabría pelado
habrías pelado
voshabrías pelado
él/ella/Ud.habría pelado
nosotroshabríamos pelado
vosotroshabríais pelado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrían pelado

Future perfect (Futuro perfecto) Regular

Describes an action that will have been completed by a certain point in the future, or expresses probability about a recent past action.

Para el lunes habré terminado — By Monday I will have finished

PronounSpanish
yohabré pelado
habrás pelado
voshabrás pelado
él/ella/Ud.habrá pelado
nosotroshabremos pelado
vosotroshabréis pelado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán pelado

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjuntivo presente) Regular

Used in subordinate clauses after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, necessity, or impersonal statements. Triggered by a change of subject between the main and subordinate clause.

Espero que hable — I hope she speaks

PronounSpanish
yopele
peles
vospeles
él/ella/Ud.pele
nosotrospelemos
vosotrospeléis
ellos/ellas/Uds.pelen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-ra)) Regular

The past subjunctive used after past main verbs, in if-clauses with conditional, and for polite softening. The -ra form is more common in everyday speech than the -se form.

Si pudiera, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yopelara
pelaras
vospelaras
él/ella/Ud.pelara
nosotrospeláramos
vosotrospelarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.pelaran

Imperfect subjunctive (-se) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-se)) Regular

The alternative past subjunctive form. Interchangeable with -ra in most contexts but slightly more literary or formal. Both forms are grammatically correct in all regions.

Si pudiese, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yopelase
pelases
vospelases
él/ella/Ud.pelase
nosotrospelásemos
vosotrospelaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.pelasen

Perfect subjunctive (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

A compound subjunctive that expresses completed actions in a subjunctive context — used after present or future main verbs expressing doubt, emotion or desire.

Dudo que ya haya llegado — I doubt she has already arrived

PronounSpanish
yohaya pelado
hayas pelado
voshayas pelado
él/ella/Ud.haya pelado
nosotroshayamos pelado
vosotroshayáis pelado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hayan pelado

Pluperfect subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

Expresses what had happened in hypothetical or unreal past contexts — the subjunctive equivalent of the pluperfect. Common in contrary-to-fact past conditions.

Si hubiera hablado, lo habrían creído — If she had spoken, they would have believed her

PronounSpanish
yohubiera pelado
hubieras pelado
voshubieras pelado
él/ella/Ud.hubiera pelado
nosotroshubiéramos pelado
vosotroshubierais pelado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hubieran pelado

Other forms

Imperative (affirmative) (Imperativo afirmativo) Regular

Direct commands and instructions. The imperative only exists for tú, usted, nosotros, vosotros and ustedes — yo has no command form. Affirmative and negative forms use different conjugations.

Habla más despacio — Speak more slowly

PronounSpanish
pela
vospelá
él/ella/Ud.pele
nosotrospelemos
vosotrospelad
ustedespelen

Imperative (negative) (Imperativo negativo) Regular

Negative commands use the subjunctive forms for all persons. Formed with no + present subjunctive. This applies to all persons including tú where the affirmative uses a different form.

No hables tan rápido — Do not speak so fast

PronounSpanish
no peles
vosno peles
él/ella/Ud.no pele
nosotrosno pelemos
vosotrosno peléis
ustedesno pelen

Present progressive (Presente progresivo) Regular

Emphasises that an action is happening right now at this very moment. Less common than in English since the present tense already covers ongoing actions in Spanish.

Estoy hablando contigo — I am speaking with you

PronounSpanish
yoestoy pelando
estás pelando
vosestás pelando
él/ella/Ud.está pelando
nosotrosestamos pelando
vosotrosestáis pelando
ellos/ellas/Uds.están pelando

Preterite progressive (Pretérito indefinido progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that was in progress throughout a completed past period. Uses the preterite of estar + gerund to emphasise the ongoing nature within a defined timeframe.

Estuvo hablando toda la tarde — He was talking all afternoon

PronounSpanish
yoestuve pelando
estuviste pelando
vosestuviste pelando
él/ella/Ud.estuvo pelando
nosotrosestuvimos pelando
vosotrosestuvisteis pelando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estuvieron pelando

Imperfect progressive (Pretérito imperfecto progresivo) Regular

Emphasises an ongoing background action using the imperfect of estar + gerund. Layered on top of the imperfect which already conveys continuity — used for extra emphasis on the progressive nature.

Estaba hablando cuando entró — I was speaking when he came in

PronounSpanish
yoestaba pelando
estabas pelando
vosestabas pelando
él/ella/Ud.estaba pelando
nosotrosestábamos pelando
vosotrosestabais pelando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estaban pelando

Conditional progressive (Condicional progresivo) Regular

Expresses what would be in progress under hypothetical conditions. Uses the conditional of estar + gerund. Less common but used for emphasis on the ongoing nature of a hypothetical action.

Estaría hablando ahora si pudiera — I would be speaking now if I could

PronounSpanish
yoestaría pelando
estarías pelando
vosestarías pelando
él/ella/Ud.estaría pelando
nosotrosestaríamos pelando
vosotrosestaríais pelando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarían pelando

Future progressive (Futuro progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that will be in progress at a future point, or expresses probability about an ongoing present action. Uses the future of estar + gerund.

Mañana a esta hora estaré viajando — At this time tomorrow I will be travelling

PronounSpanish
yoestaré pelando
estarás pelando
vosestarás pelando
él/ella/Ud.estará pelando
nosotrosestaremos pelando
vosotrosestaréis pelando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarán pelando