golpear la pelota
/ɡolpeaɾ la pelota/from spelling rules
To hit the ball in Spanish is golpear la pelota.
While golpear la pelota is a direct and correct way to express this, you will frequently hear the more colloquial expression pegarle a la pelota in many Spanish-speaking countries.
Which one should you use?
While golpear la pelota is correct, the colloquial phrase pegarle a la pelota is very common in many Spanish-speaking countries.
Is it said differently in some regions?
When referring to the ball, the word pelota is widely used in Spain. In Latin America, the word bola tends to be more common for 'ball'.
How does it change in a sentence?
For example, use golpeó to say 'he/she hit the ball' in the third-person singular preterite and use the gerund golpeando for 'hitting the ball'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡolpeaɾ la pelota/
Did you know?
- The word pelota shares an ancestral root with the English word 'pill', as both trace back to the Latin word 'pila' meaning a ball or a sphere.
- In sports commentary, you might hear darle a la pelota instead of golpear, using the verb dar which usually means 'to give'.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, the verb pegar is used for 'to hit', but it can also mean 'to stick' or 'to glue' something to a surface.
Examples in context
- ¡Pega la pelota!Hit the ball!
- ¡Dale a la pelota con fuerza!Hit the ball hard!
- ¡Pégale a la bola, vamos!Hit the ball, let's go!
- ¡Dale a la pelota con potencia!Hit the ball with power!
- ¡Pega la pelota hacia la derecha!Hit the ball to the right!
- Él golpeó la pelota con mucha fuerza.He hit the ball with a lot of force.
- Tienes que golpear la pelota con fuerza.You have to hit the ball with force.
- Él no sabe cómo golpear la pelota.He doesn't know how to hit the ball.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are practicing tennis together.
- DanielLucía, no puedes golpear la pelota así.Lucía, you cannot hit the ball like that.
- LucíaLo siento, Daniel. Es muy difícil.I'm sorry, Daniel. It is very difficult.
- DanielMira cómo yo voy a golpear la pelota.Watch how I am going to hit the ball.
- LucíaVale, voy a intentar copiarte.Okay, I am going to try to copy you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries golpear, la, pelota, CC BY-SA 4.0.
