Spanish vocabulary · Intermediate
How to Say Hit in Spanish: Golpear
Golpear · verb · gohl-peh-AHR
Hit in Spanish is golpear as a verb meaning to strike, or éxito as a noun meaning a popular success.
Golpear is gohl-peh-AHR, stressed on the final syllable.
El jugador golpeó la pelota con toda su fuerza.
The player hit the ball with all his strength.
Hit in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for hit, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| golpear | hit | gohl-peh-AHR | Default, widely understood |
| pegar | hit | colloquial, common across all regions | |
| éxito | hit | noun form: a hit song or hit movie |
How Native Speakers Use Golpear
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Physical action
Se golpeó la cabeza contra la puerta al salir.
He hit his head on the door on the way out.
Accidental impact.
Music industry
Esa canción fue un éxito enorme en toda Latinoamérica.
That song was a huge hit across Latin America.
Hit meaning popular success.
Colloquial warning
¡No le pegues a tu hermano!
Don't hit your brother!
Pegar used in everyday speech.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Golpear
Using hit as a noun incorrectly
Incorrect: Esa canción es un hit.
Correct: Esa canción es un éxito.
While hit is sometimes borrowed, éxito is the proper Spanish word for a successful song or movie.
Confusing pegar with pegar (to glue)
Incorrect: Voy a pegar el póster. (meaning hit)
Correct: Voy a golpear la mesa.
Pegar means both to hit and to glue—context determines meaning, so use golpear for clarity.
Lock in Hit Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Golpear used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using golpear in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear El jugador golpeó la pelota con toda su fuerza. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Hit in Spanish
- How do you say hit in Spanish?
- For the physical action of striking, use golpear or pegar; for a hit song or movie, the Spanish word is éxito.
- What is the difference between golpear and pegar?
- Golpear is more formal and specifically means to strike, while pegar is colloquial and also means to glue depending on context.
- How do you say hit the road in Spanish?
- The idiomatic expression is ponerse en camino or, more colloquially, largarse, since direct translation doesn't work for this English idiom.