picar

to sting

to itch

picar(pee-kahr)

transitive verb

1. (to be hurt by an animal)

a. to sting

¡Cuidado! No quieres que te pique una abeja.

Careful! You don't want to be stung by a bee.

b. to bite

Una cobra picó a mi perro y lo llevamos al veterinario.

A cobra bit my dog and we took him to the veterinarian.

c. to peck at (birds)

Los patos picaban peces en el río.

Ducks were pecking at fish in the river.

Las gallinas picaron el pan que les tiré.

The hens pecked at the bread I threw them.

2. (to snack on)

a. to eat

¿Quieres picar unas tapas con el vino?

Do you want to eat some tapas with the wine?

b. to nibble on

Estuvimos picando queso en el bar.

We were nibbling on some cheese at the bar.

3. (to divide into pieces)

a. to chop

Pica el pimiento en trocitos.

Chop the pepper into small pieces.

b. to mince

Puedes picar la carne tú mismo.

You can mince the meat yourself.

c. to grind

Pica el filete de pescado con una picadora.

Grind the fish fillet with a meat grinder.

d. to cut

Pica en trozos finos la cebolla con un cuchillo afilado.

Cut the onions finely with a sharp knife.

e. to crush (ice)

Pica hielo para hacer margaritas.

Crush some ice to make margaritas.

4. (mining)

a. to break up (in big pieces)

La minería va de picar rocas para conseguir mineral.

Mining is about breaking up rocks to collect the ore.

b. to chip (in small pieces)

El joyero picó la amatista antes de tallarla.

The jeweler chipped the amethyst before cutting it.

5. (to perforate)

a. to punch

El revisor picó nuestros billetes.

The inspector punched our tickects.

6. (to antagonize)

a. to needle

No piques a tu hermano si quieres evitar una discusión con él.

Don't needle your brother if you want to avoid an argument with him.

7. (horse racing)

a. to spur on

El jinete picó a su caballo para que fuera más rápido.

The rider spurred on his horse to make him go faster.

8. (bullfighting)

a. to goad

Con un movimiento delicado, el torero picó al toro.

With delicate movements, the bullfighter goaded the bull.

b. to prod

El picador picó al toro para que se dirigiera al matador.

The picador prodded the bull to make him go to the matador.

9. (music)

a. to play staccato

El pianista picó las notas para imitar el sonido del granizo.

The pianist played staccato notes to imitate the sound of hail.

10. (to deteriorate)

a. to rot

Dejar la comida en el sol todo el día la picará.

Leaving food out in the sun all day will make it rot.

b. to corrode

Dejar caer lejía en el desagüe lo picará después de mucho tiempo.

Letting bleach wash down the drain will corrode it after a while.

c. to rust (metal)

No dejes la bici fuera o la lluvia la picará.

Don't leave the bike outside or the rain will rust it.

11. (computing)

a. to key in

Pica tu contraseña en el campo apropiado.

Key in your password in the appropriate field.

intransitive verb

12. (to irritate)

a. to itch

Me pica la espalda. ¿Me pasas ese rascador?

My back is itching. Can you pass me that backscratcher?

13. (to be peppery)

a. to be hot

¡Estas enchiladas pican demasiado! ¡Necesito agua!

These enchiladas are too hot! I need water!

b. to be spicy

El curry picaba tanto que me hizo llorar.

The curry was so spicy that it made me cry.

c. to burn

¿Cuántos chiles usaste? ¡Esta salsa pica!

How many chilis did you use? This sauce burns!

14. (to be hurt by an animal)

a. to bite

Las serpientes suelen picar cuando están asustadas.

Snakes usually bite when they are scared.

b. to peck (birds)

A mi abuelo le gusta tirar pan a las gaviotas y verlas picar.

My grandfather likes to throw bread at the seagulls and watch them pecking.

15. (to eat)

a. to nibble

Si quieres perder peso, deja de picar.

If you want to lose some weight, stop nibbling.

16. (to hook)

a. to take the bait

No es tonto; no picará.

He's no fool; he won't take the bait.

b. to bite

Primero montamos todas las trampas, y mañana regresamos para ver si algún conejo o ardilla pica.

First we set up all of the traps and tomorrow we will return to see if any rabbit or squirrel bites.

c. to fall for it

Parece una estafa obvia, pero mucha gente pica.

It seems like an obvious scam, but many people fall for it.

17. (to scorch)

a. to burn

Protégete la piel porque el sol pica hoy.

Protect your skin because the sun is burning today.

18. (sports)

a. to bounce

El balón picó y el jugador la atrapó.

The ball bounced and the player caught it.

19. (automobile)

a. to knock

Al coche le pasa algo. ¿No oyes que el motor pica?

There's something wrong with the car. Can't you hear the engine knocking?

b. to pink

El motor picó y empezó a salir humo.

The engine pinked and it started smoking.

20. (to leave)

a. to split

Esta película es tan aburrida. ¿Quieres picar?

This movie is so boring. Do you want to split?

picarse

pronominal verb

21. (to deteriorate)

a. to decay

Si sigues comiendo dulces, tus dientes se picarán.

If you keep eating sweets, your teeth will decay.

b. to rot

Si no pones las manzanas en la refrigeradora, se van a picar.

If you don't put the apples in the refrigerator, they're going to rot.

c. to perish

(United Kingdom)

Ando siempre con una bomba de aire en caso de que se pique un neumático de mi bici.

I always travel with an air pump in case a tire on my bike perishes.

d. to go bad (food)

Guarda la lasaña en el refrigerador o se picará.

Put the lasagna in the fridge or it will go bad.

e. to turn sour (wine)

¿Se pica el vino después de descorcharlo?

Does wine turn sour after it's uncorked?

f. to go sour (wine)

El vino se picó y teníamos que botarlo.

The wine went sour we had to throw it out.

22.

(colloquial)

(to get angry)

a. to get annoyed

Siempre se pica por tonterías.

He always gets annoyed for no good reason.

b. to get upset

Mi novia se picó y rompió conmigo.

My girlfriend got upset and broke up with me.

c. to get cross

¡No te piques, solo era una broma!

Don't get cross, it was just a joke!

23. (to corrode)

a. to rust

Dejamos la parrilla afuera durante el aguacero y empezó a picarse.

We left the grill outside during the rainstorm and it began to rust.

24. (clothing or material)

a. to get moth-eaten

La chaqueta se picó en el armario.

The jacket got moth-eaten in the wardrobe.

25. (to become turbulent)

a. to get choppy

El tiempo se puso de tormenta y se picó el mar.

The weather got stormy and the sea got choppy.

26.

(colloquial)

(drug)

a. to shoot up

No me he picado heroína en cuatro horas.

I haven't shot up heroin in four hours.