golpear
/ɡolpeˈaɾ/
The English phrase "to hit" is translated into Spanish as golpear.
golpear is used to express the act of hitting or striking. To specify where you hit someone, you can use the preposition en (on/in) or contra (against).
Which one should you use?
While golpear is the standard verb for hitting or striking, it is more formal or physical than the colloquial dar un golpe (to give a hit).
How does it change in a sentence?
When using a direct object pronoun like 'me' with the infinitive golpear, the pronoun is attached to the end of the verb to form golpearme. The pronoun 'lo' (him) is attached to the end of the infinitive golpear to form golpearlo.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡolpeˈaɾ/
Did you know?
- In political contexts, the phrase dar un golpe refers to a coup d'état rather than a physical strike.
- The suffix -ear used to create golpear is the same linguistic tool used to integrate English tech terms into Spanish, such as googlear for 'to google' and tuitear for 'to tweet'.
- While golpear is the physical act, the noun golpe appears in the idiom de golpe to mean 'suddenly' or 'all at once'.
Examples in context
- Tom trató de golpearme ayer.Tom tried to hit me yesterday.This sentence shows how to attach the pronoun to the infinitive golpear.Tatoeba #9690957 by stormy_clau, translation #8056948 by CK
- No fue mi intención golpearlo.I didn't mean to hit him.This sentence demonstrates attaching the pronoun lo to the end of golpear.Tatoeba #2001842 by marcelostockle, translation #1956008 by Spamster
- Realmente necesito golpear a alguien.I really need to hit somebody.This sentence uses the infinitive form of golpear.Tatoeba #180566 by cueyayotl, translation #1680 by CM
- El boxeador golpeó a su oponente con un puñetazo poderoso.The boxer hit his opponent with a powerful punch.
- La lámpara se golpeó contra la pared durante el terremoto.The lamp hit the wall during the earthquake.
- Mi hermano me dio un golpe en la espalda.My brother hit me on the back.
- Le pegué en la caraI hit him in the face
- Golpeó ligeramente la mesaHe lightly hit the table
- El jugador golpeó la pelota con fuerzaThe player hit the ball hard
- El conductor perdió el control del auto y chocó contra el árbolThe driver lost control of the car and hit the tree
- El niño estaba molesto y golpeó la puerta con fuerzaThe child was upset and hit the door hard
- La pelota fue lanzada hacia él y él la golpeó con su raquetaThe ball was thrown towards him, and he hit it with his racket
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are practicing baseball in the park.
- Daniel¿Crees que puedo golpear la pelota con el bate?Do you think I can hit the ball with the bat?
- MaríaSí, Daniel, solo enfócate en la pelota.Yes, Daniel, just focus on the ball.
- Daniel¡Mira, lo hice!Look, I did it!
- María¡Buen golpe, Daniel!Great hit, Daniel!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry golpear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
