pinchar

to prick

to be prickly

pinchar(

peen

chahr

)

transitive verb

1. (to stick)

a. to prick

El médico le pinchó el pie con un alfiler para ver si tenía sensibilidad.The doctor pricked her foot with a pin to see whether she could feel anything.

b. to spear

Pinchó un berberecho con un palillo y se lo comió.She speared a cockle with a cocktail stick and ate it.

2. (to pop)

a. to burst (a balloon)

El payaso pinchó el globo con un dardo.The clown burst the balloon with a dart.

b. to puncture (a tire)

Un clavo que había en la carretera pinchó la llanta.A nail on the road punctured the tire.

3. (colloquial) (to incite)

a. to prod

Lleva tiempo pinchándome para que le dé la receta, pero no pienso hacerlo.For a long time now she has been prodding me to give her my recipe, but I won't.

b. to pester

Le dije que tenía que trabajar pero me siguió pinchando para que lavara los platos.I told her I had to work, but she kept pestering me to wash the dishes.

4. (colloquial) (to provoke)

a. to needle (colloquial)

La pinchó hasta que ella no pudo más y le dio una bofetada.He needled her until she couldn't stand it any longer and she slapped him.

b. to wind up (colloquial) (United Kingdom)

¡Deja de pinchar a tu hermano!Stop winding your brother up!

5. (colloquial) (to give an injection)

a. to give a shot (colloquial) (United States)

Al veterinario le cuesta trabajo cada vez que tiene que pinchar a mi perro.The vet has a hard time whenever he has to give my dog a shot.

b. to give a jab (colloquial) (United Kingdom)

Prefiero ponerme un supositorio antes de que me pinchen.I'd rather use a suppository than be given a jab.

6. (slang) (to wound)

a. to knife

¡O me das la cartera o te pincho!If you don't give me your wallet, I'll knife you!

b. to stab

Si me denuncias, vuelvo y te pincho.If you report me to the police, I'll come back and stab you.

7. (colloquial) (to spy on)

a. to tap

Creo que este teléfono está pinchado.I think this phone has been tapped.

b. to bug

Habían pinchado todas las líneas de la residencia presidencial.They had bugged all of the lines in the presidential residence.

8. (colloquial) (computing)

a. to click on

Al pinchar la x, se cierra la ventana.If you click on the x, the window will close.

9. (colloquial) (music) (Spain)

a. to DJ

Esta noche mi amigo Ryan pincha discos en un bar del centro.My friend Ryan will be DJing in a bar downtown tonight.

b. to play

Ese DJ pincha siempre una música alucinante.That DJ always plays mind-blowing music.

intransitive verb

10. (to be spiky)

a. to be prickly

Cuidado con los arbustos porque pinchan.Careful with the bushes; they are prickly.

b. to be bristly (beard)

Aféitate y luego me besas. Tu barba pincha.Have a shave before kissing me. Your beard is bristly.

11. (to burst a tire)

a. to get a flat tire

Chequea las llantas antes de salir, no vayas a pinchar en medio de la nada.Check the tires before you leave. You don't want to get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere.

b. to get a puncture

Pinchamos cuando estábamos a punto de llegar a casa.We got a puncture when we were about to get home.

12. (colloquial) (computing)

a. to click

Pincha en el vínculo de más abajo para abrir la página.Click on the link below to open the page.

13. (colloquial) (to fail) (Spain)

a. to be a flop (colloquial)

La película pinchó en España pero tuvo gran éxito en otros países.The movie was a flop in Spain but it was a big success in other countries.

b. to tank (colloquial) (United States)

El restaurante está bien ubicado, pero si no está a la altura, pinchará.The restaurant is in a good location, but if it doesn't measure up, it'll tank.

14. (colloquial) (to perform a job) (Cuba)

a. to work

Sin pinchar no se come.You need to work to survive.

b. to slog away (colloquial)

Mi padre se pasó la vida pinchando sin progresar.My dad spent his life slogging away without getting anywhere.

15. (colloquial) (to have a love affair) (Argentina) (Chile) (Paraguay)

a. to have a fling (colloquial)

Por lo visto Ramón pinchó con su jefa.It seems that Ramon had a fling with his boss.

16. (colloquial) (to be successful in love) (Chile)

a. no direct translation

Creo que pinchas con la vecina.I think your neighbor has the hots for you.

Esa chica pinchaba un montón en la escuela.That girl was very popular in high school.

pincharse

reflexive verb

17. (to stick oneself)

a. to prick oneself

Me pinché con un clavo que sobresalía de la pared.I pricked myself on a nail that was sticking out of the wall.

18. (colloquial) (to give oneself an injection)

a. to inject oneself

Tuve que pincharme epinefrina porque me había picado una abeja.I had to inject myself with epinephrine because I had been stung by a bee.

19. (slang) (to do drugs)

a. to shoot up (slang)

Dicen que se pincha.They say he shoots up.

pronominal verb

20. (to pop)

a. to burst (balloon)

El globo se pinchó al dar con la esquina de la mesa.The balloon burst when it bumped into the corner of the table.

b. to puncture (tire)

La rueda de la bici se pinchó con un cristal.A piece of glass punctured the bike tire.

21. (to burst a tire)

a. no direct translation

Hoy se me pinchó una llanta, y eso después de reemplazar otra hace dos semanas.I got a flat tire today, and that's after replacing another one two weeks ago.

Al pararse, se dio cuenta de que se le había pinchado un neumático.When she stopped she realized she had gotten a puncture.

Conjugations

Practice conjugating pinchar

Indicative of "pinchar"

Present

pincho

tú