"Toca" not "Tocas"

Question

I'm learning about chores currently in my Spanish class. We are talking about when parents ask, "Whose turn is it to....?" and I know the replies. I was wondering, however, why is it that you always put '[object]toca a [person]'? Why is it never 'tocas', even when you have a plural subject? For example, I understand that "It's my turn to clean" is "Me toca a mí limpiar" but why, when you say "It's our turn to clean" do you say "Nos toca a nosotros limpiar" instead of "Nos tocas a nosotros limpiar"?

Answer 1

Hi,

why is it that you always put '[object]toca a [person]'

Ahh, that is the misunderstanding right there.

You don't put '[object] toca a [person]' , but rather ,

the form is '[Unstated-Subject] [object] toca a [person]'

The fact that multiple people are being touched (vs one) is not relevant. The verb is conjugated to match the subject in this case, and it is still a singular (even though abstract) thing that is doing the touching.

but why, when you say "It's our turn to clean" do you say "Nos toca a nosotros limpiar"

See above -- it is a singular, albeit abstract and implicit subject

instead of "Nos tocas a nosotros limpiar"?

Two reasons,

1) The "S" would not be the correct way to make the verb plural, but rather, an "N"

2) More importantly, "Nos tocan a nosotros limpiar" would be like saying "It are our turn to clean" See there how the wrong part was "pluralized"

Hope that helps.

Buena suerte!