tocar

to touch

tocar(toh-kahr)

transitive verb

1. (to feel)

a. to touch

Puedes saber si tu bebé tiene fiebre tocando su frente.

You can tell if your baby has a fever by touching her forehead.

2. (to have contact with)

a. to touch

Ese coche está tocando el mío.

That car is touching mine.

3. (to play an instrument)

a. to play

Me gusta tocar el piano.

I like to play the piano.

4. (to play music)

a. to play

La banda está tocando una canción antigua.

The band is playing an old song.

5. (to broach)

a. to touch

Ambas partes prometieron no tocar el tema.

The two sides pledged not to touch the issue.

6. (to be someone's obligation or chance)

a. to be someone's turn

Ahora me toca jugar a mí.

Now it's my turn to play.

intransitive verb

7. (music)

a. to play

La banda toca hoy en Barcelona.

The band is playing in Barcelona today.

8. (to chime)

a. to ring

Las campanas de la iglesia tocan todos los domingos para llamar a los fieles a misa.

The church bells ring every Sunday to call the faithful to mass.

9. (to tap)

a. to knock

Ana, alguien está tocando a la puerta. ¿Puedes ir a ver quién es, por favor? Yo estoy en la ducha.

Ana, there's someone knocking at the door. Can you please go see who it is? I'm in the shower.

10. (to secure)

a. to win

No te lo vas a creer, pero nos ha tocado la lotería.

You won't believe it, but we've won the lottery.

11. (to be someone's obligation or chance)

a. to be someone's turn

¿Quién va a lavar los platos? - Te toca a ti.

Who's going to do the dishes? - It's your turn.

12. (to need to)

a. to have to

Mañana toca hacer la declaración de la renta. ¡Lo odio!

I have to do my tax return tomorrow. I hate it!

tocarse

reflexive verb

13. (to feel)

a. to touch

Se toca el pelo cuando se pone nerviosa.

When she gets nervous, she touches her hair.

reciprocal verb

14. (to have contact with)

a. to touch each other

Solo nos tocamos para estrecharnos la mano.

We don't touch each other unless it's to shake hands.

tocar

transitive verb

1. (entrar en contacto con)

a. to touch

2. (palpar)

a. to feel

3. (hacer sonar)

a. to play

4. (bombo)

a. to bang

5. (sirena, alarma)

a. to sound

6. (campana, timbre)

a. to ring

el reloj tocó las docethe clock struck twelve

7. (abordar)

a. to touch on

no toques ese temadon't mention that subject

8. (concernir)

a.

por lo que a mí me toca/a eso le tocaas far as I'm/that's concerned

tocar a alguien de cercato concern somebody closely

9. (conmover)

a. to touch

intransitive verb

10. (entrar en contacto)

a. to touch

11. (estar próximo)

a.

tocar conto be touching

12. (llamar)

a.

tocar a la puerta/ventanato knock on the door/window

13. (en un reparto)

a.

le tocó la mitadhe got half of it

tocamos a dos trozos cada unothere's enough for two slices each

tocamos a mil cada unowe're due a thousand each

te toca a ti hacerloit's your turn to do it

a mí me toca fregar la cocinaI've got to mop the kitchen

14. (caer en suerte)

a.

me ha tocado la loteríaI've won the lottery

le ha tocado sufrir muchohe has had to suffer a lot

15. (llegar el momento)

a.

hoy toca limpiarit's cleaning day today

ahora toca divertirsenow it's time to have some fun

pronominal verb

16. (palparse)

a. to touch

17. (dos objetos, personas)

a. to touch

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

tocar

transitive verb

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 tierra 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 o el claxon to hoot o sound one's horn

tocar la generala (Mil) to sound the call to arms

tocar la retirada to sound the retreat

4 [+tema] to refer to; touch on

no tocó para nada esa cuestión he didn't refer to o touch on that matter at all; 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 o touched me deeply; 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 o put in at a port; en este crucero tocaremos el puerto de Génova on this cruise we will call o stop at Genoa

10 (Caza) to hit

11 (Arte) to touch up

intransitive verb

1 (Música) to play

toca en un grupo de rock he's in o he plays in a rock group

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 o at a door

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 o got the worst seat; 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 algo

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 algo to border on sth; verge on sth

esto toca en lo absurdo this borders o verges on the ridiculous; su conducta toca en locura his behaviour borders o verges on madness

6 (chocar)

tocar con algo to touch sth

7

tocar a su fin to be drawing to a close

el verano tocaba a su fin summer was drawing to a close

tocar a su fin

pronominal verb

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) (masturbarse) to jerk off (vulgar); to do bugger-all (vulgar); está todo el día tocándosela he does bugger-all all day (vulgar)

tocárselas to beat it (familiar)

2 (uso recíproco) to touch

los cables no deben tocarse the wires should not be touching

3 (Latinoamérica) (drogarse) to be a junkie (familiar)

tocar

transitive verb

[+pelo] to do; arrange; set

pronominal verb

tocarse to cover one's head; put on one's hat

se tocó con una pamela blanca