How to Say "Play Fighting" in Spanish

jugar a pelear

/xuɡaɾ a peleaɾ/from spelling rules

The English phrase 'play fighting' is translated into Spanish as jugar a pelear.

The phrase jugar a pelear describes the act of fighting in a pretend or playful way for fun, without the intention to cause harm.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of the verb jugar (to play), the preposition a (to/at) and the infinitive pelear (to fight).

While jugar a pelear is the standard construction, jugar a las peleas is an informal way to express the same concept.

In Spanish, the construction jugar a + [infinitive] is the standard way to express playing a game or engaging in a specific activity for fun.

/xuɡaɾ a peleaɾ/

The word pelear is historically linked to hair, as it is believed to derive from the word pelo to describe fighting by grabbing someone's hair.
In Spanish, if you describe a fight as agarrarse de las greñas, you are literally saying the combatants are 'grabbing each other's matted locks'.

Los niños están jugando a las peleas en el patio trasero.
The children are play fighting in the backyard.
A los perros les gusta jugar a pelear.
Dogs like to play fight.
No quiero jugar a pelear contigo hoy.
I don't want to play fight with you today.

Lucía and Javier are watching their pets in the living room.

Lucía

¿Viste lo que hacen los cachorros?
Did you see what the puppies are doing?
Javier

Sí, parece que quieren jugar a pelear.
Yes, it looks like they want to play fight.
Lucía

Javier, son muy divertidos.
Javier, they are very funny.
Javier

Es cierto, Lucía, se ven muy felices.
It's true, Lucía, they look very happy.

Sources

IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, jugar, pelear, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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