pelar
/peˈlaɾ/
To pare fruit or vegetables in Spanish, meaning to trim off the skin by cutting, use pelar.
pelar is the everyday verb for peeling or paring food such as apples or potatoes, whether with a knife or a peeler.
Meaning: To reduce or trim something (as if) by cutting off (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
pelar is a regular verb ending in ar. He or she pares is pela, and the past participle pelado also works as an adjective meaning peeled or trimmed.
How do you pronounce it?
pelar is pronounced /peˈlaɾ/, with the stress on the last syllable and a soft tapped r.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse English pare with the Spanish form pare, which comes from a different verb and means stop, as on a stop sign. A formal way to tell someone to stop is deténgase.
Did you know?
- If you are in a very informal setting in some regions, saying someone is pelado can also be a way to describe someone who is broke or has no money.
- The verb pelar comes from the Latin word pilāre, which meant to deprive something of its hair.
- Calling someone pelado is also a common way to describe a person who is bald.
Examples in context
- El oficial de policía le indicó al conductor: "Deténgase en el semáforo rojo".The police officer indicated to the driver: "Stop at the red light".
- El profesor le dijo al estudiante: "Pare usted de hablar durante la clase".The teacher told the student: "Stop talking during the class".
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are preparing a salad in the kitchen.
- DanielElena, ¿me ayudas a pelar los pepinos?Elena, will you help me peel the cucumbers?
- ElenaClaro, yo los puedo pelar ahora.Sure, I can peel them now.
- DanielGracias, yo cortaré el tomate.Thanks, I will cut the tomato.
- ElenaPerfecto, ya casi termino de pelar.Perfect, I'm almost done peeling.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pelar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pelar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
