pellizcar
/peʝiθˈkaɾ/
To pinch in Spanish is to say pellizcar. Wiktionary also lists repizcar and peñizcar.
Meaning: to squeeze a small amount of skin (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pellizcar | /peʝiθˈkaɾ/ | |
| repizcar | /repiθˈkaɾ/ /repisˈkaɾ/ |
|
| peñizcar | /peɲiθˈkaɾ/ /peɲisˈkaɾ/ |
|
| peñiscar | /peɲiskaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | Peru |
The verb describes the action of squeezing a small amount of skin. You can use the related nouns pellizco, repizco or peñisco to refer to the action itself. If you want to describe being in a difficult situation or a tight spot, you would use the noun aprieto.
Which one should you use?
While pellizcar is the standard term, repizcar is a common variant used in some dialects.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form peñiscar is used specifically in Peru.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form of the verb pellizcar is pellizco, and a common way to refer to the physical act of a pinch is un pellizco.
How do you pronounce it?
/peʝiθˈkaɾ/
Did you know?
- The verb pellizcar is secretly related to the wool on a sheep. It derives from the Latin word vellus, meaning fleece or wool, suggesting the original sense involved a quick, tuft-like tugging.
- While pellizcar describes the skin, Spanish uses the separate word pizca to describe a 'pinch' of salt or sugar in cooking.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, un pellizco is used to describe a very small amount of food or a tiny portion of something, rather than a physical pinch.
Examples in context
- El perro me dio un pellizcoThe dog gave me a pinch.
- No me vayas a pellizcar.Don't pinch me.
- El niño no deja de pellizcar a su hermano.The boy won't stop pinching his brother.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are playing with a puppy.
- Elena¡Ay! El perro me quiere pellizcar la piel.Ouch! The dog wants to pinch my skin.
- AlejandroTen cuidado, Alejandro no quiere que te lastimes.Be careful, Alejandro doesn't want you to get hurt.
- ElenaSolo fue un pellizcar muy suave.It was only a very soft pinch.
- AlejandroEstá bien, pero vigila al perrito.It's okay, but keep an eye on the puppy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pinch” translations and entries pellizcar, repizcar, peñizcar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pellizcar, peñizcar, repizcar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
