tropezar

to trip

tropezar(troh-peh-sahr)

intransitive verb

1. (to hit accidentally; often used with "con")

a. to trip

Intentó saltar pero tropezó con una piedra.

She tried to jump but tripped on a rock.

b. to stumble

Tropecé y caí en la piscina con toda la ropa puesta.

I stumbled and fell into the pool with all of my clothes on.

tropezarse

reciprocal verb

2. (to meet)

a. to run into

Siempre nos tropezamos en el supermercado.

We always run into each other at the supermarket.

tropezar

intransitive verb

1. (con los pies)

a. to trip o stumble

tropecé con el bordillo y me caíI tripped on the curb, curb and fell over

2. (por casualidad)

a.

tropezar con alguiento bump o run into somebody

3. (enfrentarse)

a.

tropezar conto come up against

pronominal verb

4. (colloquial)

a. to bump into each other, to come across one another

tropezarse con alguiento bump into somebody

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

tropezar

intransitive verb

1 (con los pies) to trip; stumble

tropezó y por poco se cae he tripped o stumbled and nearly fell; ¡cuidado, no tropieces! mind you don't trip up!; ha tropezado con una piedra she tripped on a stone; he tropezado con el escalón I tripped on the step

2 (chocar)

tropezar con o contra algo to bump into sth; tropezar con o contra un árbol to bump into a tree

3 (enfrentarse)

tropezar con algo to run into sth; encounter sth; tropezamos con una dificultad we ran into o encountered a difficulty; tropezó con muchos obstáculos durante su carrera política she came up against o encountered numerous obstacles in her political career

4 (encontrarse)

tropezar con algn to bump into sb; run into sb; he tropezado con María en la facultad I bumped o ran into María in the department

5 (reñir)

tropezar con algn to have an argument with sb

tropezó con su hermana por cuestiones de la herencia

6 (cometer un error) to err; make a mistake

ha tropezado muchas veces en la vida she has erred many times o made many mistakes in her life

pronominal verb

tropezarse [+dos personas] to bump o run into each other

nos tropezamos casi cada día por la calle we bump o run into each other practically every day in the street; tropezarse con algn to bump o run into sb; me tropecé con Juan en el banco I bumped o ran into Juan at the bank