pelea

Pelea is a term used in Filipino (Tagalog) to denote a fight or clash between people. It can refer to any direct conflict, whether physical, such as a street brawl or a sporting contest, or verbal, such as a heated argument. In everyday speech, pelea can describe both informal altercations and organized competitions, with the context usually indicating the intensity and formality of the encounter. The related verb form makipagpelea means “to fight each other,” while the noun pelea refers to the fight itself.

Etymology and usage: The word pelea is borrowed from Spanish, where pelea also means a fight or bout. In Filipino, the term is widely understood and commonly used across regions and social groups. It is frequently encountered in news reporting, sports coverage, and casual conversation.

Contexts and nuances: In sports, pelea often describes boxing bouts or mixed martial arts contests, and is sometimes used interchangeably with terms like laban or labanang pagpapatunayan. In everyday life, it can describe street fights or quarrels between individuals or groups. The phrase can also appear in figurative language, such as “pelea sa politika” to denote political battles or “pelea sa salita” for verbal exchanges.

See also: Laban, away, but pa, salpukan, labanang pampalakasan.