The Royal Spanish Academy's Dictionary of the Spanish Language lists 25 different meanings for the Spanish verb pegar, whose English translations range from "to stick" to "to hit"! Although we won't cover all of them, today's lesson will touch on many of the most common ones, backed by lots of examples from the Yabla Spanish video library. Are you ready?!

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1. To paste, glue, or stick on

The Spanish verb pegar is often used to describe attaching one thing to another. While this could involve some substance like glue or paste, in other cases, it might simply entail "sticking" one thing onto another via another means, like sewing (as in the example pegar un bóton, or "sew on a button"). Let's take a look at a couple more examples:

2. To stick to or burn 

Similarly, the reflexive form of pegar, pegarse, is used to talk about things that "stick to" other things and might even be translated as "to burn" or "stick to the pan" in the context of cooking.

Y queremos que la harina no esté muy seca y no muy mojada para que no se pegue a las manos

And, we want for the flour to not be very dry and not very moist so that it doesn't stick to one's hands

Captions 43-44, Dany Arepas - Part 1

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Bueno, entonces vemos que esto se está empezando a pegar al fondo. 

Well, so we see that this is starting to stick to the bottom.

Caption 1, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2

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3. To hit, beat, strike, or smack 

In contrast to the former meanings, the Spanish verb pegar can also mean to "hit" someone, as in physically striking them:

Ella era muy amorosa, ella nunca... nunca me pegó, ni una palmada ni nada. 

She was very loving. She never... never hit me, not a spank or anything.

Caption 2, La Sub30 Familias - Part 11

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4. To give/strike (with certain nouns)

The verb pegar often appears with specific nouns like tiro (shot), bofetón (slap), patada (kick), etc., to talk about specific types of "striking." For example, you might hear that a soccer player le pegó una patada fuerte a la pelota ("gave the ball a good kick") or that someone le pegó un bofetón ("slapped him" or "gave him a slap"). Let's see an example with un tiro:

5. To strike a spot intensely

The verb pegar in Spanish might be employed to talk about sun, light, or even wind that falls upon (or is particularly frequent in) a particular surface or area:

The verb pegar in Spanish can entail "pulling" something "up" to something else or "moving (it) closer." For example, you might say: "Pegué la cama a la pared" (I pulled up the bed up to the wall). Let's see one more example:

Puedes pegar un poco el brazo hacia ti.

You can bring your arm a bit closer to you.

Caption 21, Bienestar con Elizabeth Activar las articulaciones

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8. To touch 

9. To match

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Slangy Meanings of the Spanish Verb Pegar

In addition to its more traditional uses, the verb pegar can be found in lots of idiomatic expressions and may be used differently in different countries and regions. In the Dominican Republic, for example, it is common to use the Spanish verb pegar to talk about actions that began suddenly, as in the case of "Pegó a correr" (He took off running). In other regions, you might hear expressions like "Me pegó la depresión" (I got depressed) to give us a sense that the speaker was "stricken" by depression, while "Me pegué una siesta" is another way to say "I took a nap." 

While the less textbook meanings of the verb pegar can seem endless, here are a smattering of examples whose meanings feel like logical extensions of some of the more traditional definitions we covered:

Era lo que yo había aprendido y entonces, eh, me pegué con ellos

It was what I had learned and so, um, I hooked up with them

Captions 28-29, Willy Entrevista - Part 2

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hoy le pego a ese duraznito de Amalia Durango, ¿oyó?

today I'll hit it with that peach Amalia Durango, you hear?

Caption 11, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 9

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Yo sólo quiero pegar en la radio 

I just want to catch on on the radio

Caption 1, Bacilos Mi Primer Millón

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The Spanish verb hacer primarily means "to do" or "to make." As one of the most versatile verbs in Spanish, it appears in countless expressions and contexts. Despite its usefulness, mastering hacer can be challenging due to its irregular conjugation and multiple applications. Let's explore the essential uses of this fundamental Spanish verb with authentic examples.

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Hacer Conjugation: An Irregular Verb

As mentioned, hacer is an irregular verb, which means it doesn't follow standard conjugation patterns. This irregularity is particularly noticeable in the preterite (past tense) where forms like hice (I did/made) and hizo (he/she did/made) appear instead of the regular pattern.

Present Tense Conjugation of Hacer

yo hago (I do/make)
tú haces (you do/make)
él/ella/usted hace (he/she does/makes, you [formal] do/make)
nosotros/nosotras hacemos (we do/make)
vosotros/vosotras hacéis (you all do/make)
ellos/ellas/ustedes hacen (they do/make, you all do/make)

Preterite (Past) Tense Conjugation of Hacer

yo hice (I did/made)
tú hiciste (you did/made)
él/ella/usted hizo (he/she did/made, you [formal] did/made)
nosotros/nosotras hicimos (we did/made)
vosotros/vosotras hicisteis (you all did/made)
ellos/ellas/ustedes hicieron (they did/made, you all did/made)

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Basic Meanings of Hacer

The first basic meaning of hacer is "to make":
 

Vamos a hacer un platillo, eh... tradicional,

We're going to make a traditional, um... dish,

Caption 64, Otavalo Proyecto familiar Kawsaymi - Part 1

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The second basic meaning of hacer is "to do":
 

¿Y ahora qué hacemos?

And now what do we do?

Caption 12, Guillermina y Candelario - Una película de terror

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Hacer in Everyday Expressions

Keep in mind that the meanings of the verb hacer as "to do" or "to make" can be used in many different situations that don't necessarily correspond to the uses of "to make" and "to do" in English. Here are some common examples:

For making a call:

te dejo que tengo que hacer una llamada importante.

I'll leave you since I have to make an important call.

Caption 66, Fermín y Manuel Los móviles - Part 1

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For asking for a favor:

¿Será que usted me puede hacer un favor? Imagínese que...

Would it be possible for you to do me a favor? Imagine that...

Caption 4, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 4 - Part 10

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For expressing that someone is causing harm:

Decir que te extraño porque me hace daño

To say that I miss you because it hurts me

Caption 3, Claudia Montoya Prisionera de tu amor

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Hacer appears in countless other expressions that might surprise English speakers:

Tú me hiciste brujería.

You put a spell on me.

Caption 38, Calle 13 - Un Beso De Desayuno

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Hacer for Time and Weather

Hacer is also extensively used in Spanish to express time or duration. It can be used to express for how long you have been doing something:
 

Tengo veinte años y estoy hace dos años acá en Buenos Aires.

I'm twenty years old and I've been here in Buenos Aires for two years.

Caption 40, Buenos Aires - Heladería Cumelen

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Or to express the concept of "ago":
 

Hace unos días me olvidé la mochila en el tren.

A few days ago I forgot my backpack on the train.

Caption 22, Raquel - Oficina de objetos perdidos

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Hacer is also used in weather expressions:
 

Hoy hace tanto viento que casi me deja caer.

Today it is so windy that it almost makes me fall [over].

Caption 22, Clara explica - El tiempo

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Hacer in Impersonal and Reflexive Constructions

Impersonal Expressions

In impersonal expressions like hacer falta (to need/be lacking):

Se puede poner entero, no hace falta quitar corteza.

It can be put in whole; it's not necessary to remove the crust.

Caption 84, Cómetelo - Crema de brócoli

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Reflexive Forms

The reflexive form hacerse is used to express pretending:

No te hagás el tonto, Ivo, por favor.

Don't play the fool, Ivo, please.

Caption 13, Muñeca Brava 45 El secreto - Part 2

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Digo si pasa algo con mi hijo, no te hagas la ingenua.

I'm saying if something is happening with my son, don't play dumb.

Caption 13, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro - Part 5

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It appears in expressions like hacerse el loco (to pretend to be crazy) or hacerse el muerto (to play dead): Here is another example:

Mira, no te hagas la viva.

Look, don't play smart.

Caption 3, Yago - 3 La foto

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Additional Uses of Hacer

The Spanish verb hacer can also express the idea of getting used to something:
 

No hacerme a la idea de que esto está bien

Not to get used to the idea that this is OK

Caption 32, Xóchitl - Vida en Monterrey

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The expression hacer caso means "to pay attention," "to obey," or "to believe":

Nada, hay que hacerle caso al médico.

No way, you have to pay attention to the doctor.

Caption 63, Yago - 8 Descubrimiento

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Hazme caso que tú eres perfecta.

Believe me that you are perfect.

Caption 58, Biografía - Enrique Iglesias

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Pero yo siempre, siempre, siempre le hago caso a Sor Cachete.

But I always, always, always, do as Sister Cachete says.

Caption 35, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro - Part 2

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That's all for this lesson about the Spanish verb hacer. As you can see, this versatile verb is essential for everyday communication in Spanish. Try using hacer in different contexts to become more familiar with its many uses and applications. Do you have other examples of how to use the verb hacer? Don't forget to write to us with your questions and suggestions!

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The Spanish verb faltar literally means "to lack" and it is a cousin of the English word "fault," which in Middle English often described a "failing" or "lack". The word faltar has many uses, and "to lack" isn't always the best translation. Faltar often indicates that something or someone needs something. The person or thing in need is often referred to using an indirect-object pronoun, while what is needed or lacking (a direct object) can be a noun, like arete (earring), or sal (salt).

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(A tu novia) le falta un arete.
She (your girlfriend) is missing an earring. 

(A la sopa) le falta sal. 
It (the soup) needs salt.

What's lacking can also be a verb in infinitive form, like dormir (to sleep).

A José y Pepita les falta dormir más.
José and Pepita need to sleep more. 

Finally, faltar is not an impersonal verb, but it's very common to use it impersonally (always in the present tense):

Antes de eso falta servir la cena.
Before that, dinner needs to be served.

Falta mucha ingenuidad para ser engañado por alguien como tú.
One needs to be very naive to be fooled by someone like you.

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And now, to hear how Candelario uses faltar in context, click on the following free demo of the Yabla Player. Thanks for reading!

Abuelo, pero todavía nos falta hacer la película. -¡Sí!

Grandfather, but we still have to make the movie. -Yes!

Caption 24, Guillermina y Candelario - Una película de terror

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