bregar

Asturian

Alternative forms

• abregar
• brear (Cabu Peñes, Cabranes)
• briar (Eastern)

Etymology

From Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan, “to break”), from Proto-Germanic *brekaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɾeˈɡaɾ/ [bɾeˈɡaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: bre‧gar

Verb

bregar (first-person singular indicative present brego, past participle bregáu)

1. to flatten the bread dough (using a bregadera)

   Synonym: gramar

2. (by extension) to work hard, to toil, struggle

   Synonyms: esporiar, esporitiar, estomexar

   • 1925, Pepín de Pría, La sardinera‎^[1]:

     De tantu como cuerre, brega y trabaya

     He runs so much that he struggles and works

3. to hit, thrash, thwack

   Synonyms: zurrar, zacurrir, zagurrar, azotar, calentar, cascar, crismar, cruñir, cutir

Conjugation

Conjugation of bregar

infinitive		bregar
gerund		bregando
past participle		m bregáu, f bregada, n bregao, m pl bregaos, f pl bregaes
person		first singular yo	second singular tu	third singular él/elli	first plural nosotros/nós	second plural vosotros/vós	third plural ellos
indicative	present	brego	breges	brega	bregamos	bregáis	bregen
	imperfect	bregaba	bregabes	bregaba	bregábemos, bregábamos	bregabeis, bregabais	bregaben
	preterite	bregé	bregasti, bregesti	bregó	bregemos	bregastis, bregestis	bregaron
	pluperfect	bregare, bregara	bregares, bregaras	bregare, bregara	bregáremos, bregáramos	bregareis, bregarais	bregaren, bregaran
	future	bregaré	bregarás	bregará	bregaremos	bregaréis	bregarán
	conditional	bregaría	bregaríes	bregaría	bregaríemos, bregaríamos	bregaríeis, bregaríais	bregaríen
subjunctive	present	brege	breges, bregas	brege	bregemos	bregéis	bregen, bregan
	imperfect	bregare, bregara	bregares, bregaras	bregare, bregara	bregáremos, bregáramos	bregareis, bregarais	bregaren, bregaran
imperative		—	brega	—	—	bregái	—

Related terms

• brega
• bregadera
• bregaderu
• bregador

References

• “bregar”, in Diccionariu de la llingua asturiana [Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Asturian), 1ª edición, Academia de la Llingua Asturiana, 2000, →ISBN
• Xosé Lluis García Arias (2002–2004), “bregar”, in Diccionario general de la lengua asturiana [General Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Spanish), Editorial Prensa Asturiana, →ISBN

Catalan

Etymology

From Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan, “to break”), from Proto-Germanic *brekaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [bɾəˈɣa]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [bɾeˈɣaɾ]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Verb

bregar (first-person singular present brego, first-person singular preterite breguí, past participle bregat); root stress: (Central) /ɛ/; (Valencia) /e/; (Balearic) /ə/

1. (intransitive) to fight, to struggle
2. (transitive) to scrub
3. (transitive) to brake (to crush the stems of flax or hemp in order to separate the fibers)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of bregar (first conjugation, g-gu alternation)

infinitive			bregar
gerund			bregant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		bregat		bregada
		plural		bregats		bregades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	brego	bregues	brega	breguem	bregueu	breguen
	imperfect	bregava	bregaves	bregava	bregàvem	bregàveu	bregaven
	future	bregaré	bregaràs	bregarà	bregarem	bregareu	bregaran
	preterite	breguí	bregares	bregà	bregàrem	bregàreu	bregaren
	conditional	bregaria	bregaries	bregaria	bregaríem	bregaríeu	bregarien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	bregui	breguis	bregui	breguem	bregueu	breguin
	imperfect	bregués	breguessis	bregués	breguéssim	breguéssiu	breguessin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
	affirmative	—	brega	bregui	breguem	bregueu	breguin
	negative (no)	—	no breguis	no bregui	no breguem	no bregueu	no breguin

Derived terms

• brega
• bregada
• bregador

Further reading

• “bregar”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

Spanish

Etymology

From Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan, “to break”), from Proto-Germanic *brekaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɾeˈɡaɾ/ [bɾeˈɣ̞aɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: bre‧gar

Verb

bregar (first-person singular present brego, first-person singular preterite bregué, past participle bregado)

1. to toil, struggle
2. (literary) to fight

   Synonyms: pelear, luchar

3. (Puerto Rico) to deal with

   Synonym: tratar

Conjugation

    Conjugation of bregar (g-gu alternation) (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			bregar
gerund			bregando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		bregado		bregada
		plural		bregados		bregadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	brego	bregastú bregásvos	brega	bregamos	bregáis	bregan
	imperfect	bregaba	bregabas	bregaba	bregábamos	bregabais	bregaban
	preterite	bregué	bregaste	bregó	bregamos	bregasteis	bregaron
	future	bregaré	bregarás	bregará	bregaremos	bregaréis	bregarán
	conditional	bregaría	bregarías	bregaría	bregaríamos	bregaríais	bregarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	bregue	breguestú breguésvos2	bregue	breguemos	breguéis	breguen
	imperfect (ra)	bregara	bregaras	bregara	bregáramos	bregarais	bregaran
	imperfect (se)	bregase	bregases	bregase	bregásemos	bregaseis	bregasen
	future1	bregare	bregares	bregare	bregáremos	bregareis	bregaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		bregatú bregávos	bregue	breguemos	bregad	breguen
	negative		no bregues	no bregue	no breguemos	no breguéis	no breguen

¹Rare; now chiefly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tuteo-form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of bregar (g-gu alternation)

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive bregar	dative	bregarme	bregarte	bregarle, bregarse	bregarnos	bregaros	bregarles, bregarse
	accusative	bregarme	bregarte	bregarlo, bregarla, bregarse	bregarnos	bregaros	bregarlos, bregarlas, bregarse
with gerund bregando	dative	bregándome	bregándote	bregándole, bregándose	bregándonos	bregándoos	bregándoles, bregándose
	accusative	bregándome	bregándote	bregándolo, bregándola, bregándose	bregándonos	bregándoos	bregándolos, bregándolas, bregándose
with informal second-person singular tuteo imperative brega	dative	brégame	brégate	brégale	bréganos	not used	brégales
	accusative	brégame	brégate	brégalo, brégala	bréganos	not used	brégalos, brégalas
with informal second-person singular voseo imperative bregá	dative	bregame	bregate	bregale	breganos	not used	bregales
	accusative	bregame	bregate	bregalo, bregala	breganos	not used	bregalos, bregalas
with formal second-person singular imperative bregue	dative	brégueme	not used	bréguele, bréguese	bréguenos	not used	brégueles
	accusative	brégueme	not used	bréguelo, bréguela, bréguese	bréguenos	not used	bréguelos, bréguelas
with first-person plural imperative breguemos	dative	not used	breguémoste	breguémosle	breguémonos	breguémoos	breguémosles
	accusative	not used	breguémoste	breguémoslo, breguémosla	breguémonos	breguémoos	breguémoslos, breguémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative bregad	dative	bregadme	not used	bregadle	bregadnos	bregaos	bregadles
	accusative	bregadme	not used	bregadlo, bregadla	bregadnos	bregaos	bregadlos, bregadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative breguen	dative	bréguenme	not used	bréguenle	bréguennos	not used	bréguenles, bréguense
	accusative	bréguenme	not used	bréguenlo, bréguenla	bréguennos	not used	bréguenlos, bréguenlas, bréguense

Related terms

• brecha
• brega

Further reading

• “bregar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025