tocar

∗

tocar
transitive verb
1 to touch (entrar en contacto con) ; to feel (palpar)
2 to play (hacer sonar) (instrumento, canción) ; to bang (bombo) ; to sound (sirena, alarma) ; to ring (campana, timbre)
  • el reloj tocó las doce -> the clock struck twelve
3 to touch on (abordar) (tema)
  • no toques ese tema -> don't mention that subject
4 (concernir)
  • por lo que a mí me toca/a eso le toca -> as far as I'm/that's concerned
  • tocar a alguien de cerca -> to concern somebody closely
5 to touch (conmover)
intransitive verb
6 to touch (entrar en contacto)
7 (estar próximo)
  • tocar con -> to be touching; (pared, mueble) to border (on) (país, jardín)
8 (llamar)
  • tocar a la puerta/ventana -> to knock on the door/window
9 (en un reparto)
  • le tocó la mitad -> he got half of it
  • tocamos a dos trozos cada uno -> there's enough for two slices each
  • tocamos a mil cada uno -> we're due a thousand each; (nos deben) it's a thousand each (debemos)
  • te toca a ti hacerlo -> it's your turn to do it; (turno) it's up to you to do it (responsabilidad)
  • a mí me toca fregar la cocina -> I've got to mop the kitchen
10 (caer en suerte)
  • me ha tocado la lotería -> I've won the lottery
  • le ha tocado sufrir mucho -> he has had to suffer a lot
11 (llegar el momento)
  • hoy toca limpiar -> it's cleaning day today
  • ahora toca divertirse -> now it's time to have some fun
tocarse
pronomial verb
1(reflexivo) to touch (palparse)
2 to touch (dos objetos, personas) (estar en contacto)

Copyright © 2006 Chambers Harrap Publishers Limited

tocar [to-car’]
article & verb transitive
1 To touch.
2 Touch a thing lightly; to reach with the hand.
3 To play on a musical instrument.
4 To toll or ring a bell.
5 To try metals on a touch stone, to touch, to magnetize; to examine, to prove.
6 To touch, to bent of, to discuss a matter lightly (tema).
7 To know a thing certainly.
8 To touch (conmover), to inspire, to move, to persuade.
9 To strike slightly, to sound anything.
10 To hit, to strike (obstáculo).
11 To suffer, to undergo (consecuencias).
12 To touch, to communicate or infect; to chastise.
13 To comb and dress the hair with ribbons.
verb neuter
14 To appertain, to belong. (n)
15 To interest, to concern; to be a duty or obligation; to import. (n)
16 To fall to one’s share or lot. (n)
17 To touch, to be contiguous to; to arrive in passing. (n)
18 To be allied or related. (n)
  • Tocar de cerca alguna cosa -> to have an interest, to be concerned
  • Tocar de cerca algún asunto -> to have complete knowledge of a subject or matter
  • Tocar a la puerta -> to rap at the door
  • Tocar la diana -> (All.) to bent the reveille
  • A toca teja -> (Coll.) ready money
  • Tocarle a uno -> to fall to somebody
  • Te toca jugar -> it's your turn
  • Ahora toca torcer a la derecha -> now you have to turn right
verb reflexive
19 To be covered, to put on the hat. (Colloquial)
20 To comb and arrange the hair.

Velazquez® Spanish and English Dictionary. Copyright © 2007 by Velazquez® Press. All rights reserved.

tocar
verbo:transitivo
1 (gen) to touch; (para examinar) to feel
si lo tocas te vas a quemar if you touch it you'll burn yourself; ¡no me toques! don't touch me!; que nadie toque mis papeles don't let anyone touch my papers; no toques el dinero como no sea para una emergencia don't touch the money unless it's an emergency; tócalo, verás qué suave feel it and see how soft it is
tocar las cosas de cerca
tócale la frente, la tiene muy caliente feel his forehead, it's very hot; no toques la mercancía sin guantes don't handle the goods without gloves
sin tocar un pelo de su ropa tocar las cosas de cerca a mí no me toques, que te pego
el delantero tocó la pelota con la mano the forward handled (the ball)
frágil, no tocar
tocar madera to touch wood; knock on wood; (EEUU)
2 (estar en contacto con) to touch
la mesa está tocando la pared the table is touching the wall; ponte ahí, tocando la pared stand up against the wall over there
tocar tierratierra to touch down; land
al tocar tierra, se rompió el tren de aterrizaje estamos a punto de tomar tierra en el aeropuerto de Heathrow
3 (hacer sonar) [+piano, violín, trompeta] to play; [+campana, timbre] to ring; [+tambor] to beat; [+silbato] to blow; [+disco] to play
toca el violín en una orquesta
el reloj de la iglesia ha tocado las diez the church clock has just struck ten
hora del día
tocar la bocina el claxonbocinaoclaxon to hoot sound one's horn;o
tocar la generalagenerala (Mil) to sound the call to arms
tocar la retiradaretirada to sound the retreat
4 [+tema] to refer to; touch on
no tocó para nada esa cuestión he didn't refer to touch on that matter at all;o prefiero no tocar lo relacionado con el trabajo I'd prefer not to talk about work
5 (afectar) to concern
esa cuestión me toca de cerca that issue closely concerns me; por lo que a mí me toca so far as I am concerned
esto no te toca a ti él tocará las consecuencias de todo esto
6 (estar emparentado con) to be related to
X no le toca para nada a Y
a mí Juan no me toca nada Juan is not related to me in any way
7 (conmover) to touch
las imágenes me tocaron en lo más profundo the pictures moved touched me deeply;o el poema nos tocó el corazón the poem touched our hearts; me has tocado el amor propio you've wounded my pride
8 (Dep) to hit
el balón tocó el palo the ball hit the post
9 (Náutica)
hacía varios días que no tocábamos puerto it was several days since we had called at put in at a port;o en este crucero tocaremos el puerto de Génova on this cruise we will call stop at Genoa;o
10 (Caza) to hit
11 (Arte) to touch up
verbo:intransitivo
1 (Música) to play
toca en un grupo de rock he's in he plays in a rock group;o
2 (sonar)
en cuanto toque el timbre when the bell rings; tocan a misa they are ringing the bell for mass; tocar a muerto to toll the death knell
ese timbre toca a fuego
3 (llamar)
tocar a una puerta to knock on at a door;o
tocar a la [puerta]
4 (corresponder)
no toca hacerlo hasta el mes que viene it's not due to be done until next month; ahora toca torcer a la derecha now you have to turn right; tocar a algn: les tocó un dólar a cada uno they got a dollar each; ¿les tocará algo de herencia? will they get anything under the will?
¿qué clase te ha tocado?
me ha tocado el peor asiento I ended up with got the worst seat;o le tocó la lotería he won the lottery; ¿a quién le toca? whose turn is it?
venga, tira los dados, que te toca
tocar a algn hacer algohacer
te toca jugar it's your turn (to play); it's your go; nos toca pagar a nosotros it's our turn to pay; siempre me toca fregar a mí I'm always the one who has to do the dishes
te toca fregar los platos
a usted le toca reprenderle si lo cree conveniente it is up to you to reprimand him if you see fit
¡a pagar tocan! it's time to pay up!
5 (rayar)
tocar en algoen to border on sth; verge on sth
esto toca en lo absurdo this borders verges on the ridiculous;o su conducta toca en locura his behaviour borders verges on madness;o
6 (chocar)
tocar con algocon to touch sth
7
tocar a su finfin to be drawing to a close
el verano tocaba a su fin summer was drawing to a close
tocar a su fin
verbo:pronominal
tocarse
1 (uso reflexivo)
no te toques los granos don't pick your spots; está todo el día tocándose la barba he's always playing with his beard; tocársela (España) (vulgar) (masturbarse) to jerk off; (vulgar) to do bugger-all; (vulgar) está todo el día tocándosela he does bugger-all all day; (vulgar)
tocárselas (familiar) to beat it; (familiar)
2 (uso recíproco) to touch
los cables no deben tocarse the wires should not be touching
3 (Latinoamérica) (muy_familiar) (drogarse) to be a junkie; (familiar)
tocar
verbo:transitivo
[+pelo] to do; arrange; set
verbo:pronominal
tocarse to cover one's head; put on one's hat
se tocó con una pamela blanca

Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Verb Conjugation for "tocar"

Presente Pretérito Imperfect Futuro Subjuntivo
Yo toco toqué tocaba tocaré toque
Tú tocas tocaste tocabas tocarás toques
Ella/Él/Usted toca tocó tocaba tocará toque
Nosotros tocamos tocamos tocábamos tocaremos toquemos
Vosotros tocáis tocasteis tocabais tocaréis toquéis
Ellos/Ustedes tocan tocaron tocaban tocarán toquen
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