What does tocar mean in English?

Tocar means "to touch/play" in English.

How do you conjugate tocar in Spanish?

Tocar is conjugated across all Spanish tenses including present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, subjunctive, and more. Each tense has specific conjugations for yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, and ellos/ustedes. You can see complete conjugation tables with audio pronunciations on this page.

What are common idiomatic expressions with tocar?

Common idiomatic expressions using tocar include: "tocar madera" (to knock on wood), "tocarle a uno" (to be one's turn). These expressions are frequently used in everyday Spanish conversation.

What should I know about using tocar?

Tocar has spelling change: c→qu before e

How do you use tocar in a sentence?

Example: "Toqué la guitarra en el concierto." which means "I played the guitar at the concert." in English.

Tocar

to touch/play

🎯

Infinitive (infinitivo)

Base form of the verb

tocar

🏃

Gerund (gerundio)

Present participle (-ing form)

tocando

📋

Past Participle

Used in compound tenses

tocado

Simple Tenses

⚡

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)

Present actions and habitual activities

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	toco I touch/play	I touch/play
tú	tocas you touch/play	you touch/play
él/ella/usted	toca he/she/you touch/plays	he/she/you touch/plays
nosotros	tocamos we touch/play	we touch/play
vosotros	tocáis you all touch/play	you all touch/play
ellos/ustedes	tocan they/you all touch/play	they/you all touch/play

🕰️

Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)

Ongoing past actions and descriptions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	tocaba I used to touch/play	I used to touch/play
tú	tocabas you used to touch/play	you used to touch/play
él/ella/usted	tocaba he/she/you used to touch/play	he/she/you used to touch/play
nosotros	tocábamos we used to touch/play	we used to touch/play
vosotros	tocabais you all used to touch/play	you all used to touch/play
ellos/ustedes	tocaban they/you all used to touch/play	they/you all used to touch/play

📅

Preterit (pretérito)

Completed past actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	tocé I touch/played	I touch/played
tú	tocaste you touch/played	you touch/played
él/ella/usted	tocó he/she/you touch/played	he/she/you touch/played
nosotros	tocamos we touch/played	we touch/played
vosotros	tocasteis you all touch/played	you all touch/played
ellos/ustedes	tocaron they/you all touch/played	they/you all touch/played

🔮

Future (futuro)

Future actions and intentions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	tocaré I will touch/play	I will touch/play
tú	tocarás you will touch/play	you will touch/play
él/ella/usted	tocará he/she/you will touch/play	he/she/you will touch/play
nosotros	tocaremos we will touch/play	we will touch/play
vosotros	tocaréis you all will touch/play	you all will touch/play
ellos/ustedes	tocarán they/you all will touch/play	they/you all will touch/play

🎯

Conditional (potencial simple)

Hypothetical and conditional actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	tocaría I would touch/play	I would touch/play
tú	tocarías you would touch/play	you would touch/play
él/ella/usted	tocaría he/she/you would touch/play	he/she/you would touch/play
nosotros	tocaríamos we would touch/play	we would touch/play
vosotros	tocaríais you all would touch/play	you all would touch/play
ellos/ustedes	tocarían they/you all would touch/play	they/you all would touch/play

💭

Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)

Subjective present actions and desires

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	toce that I touch/play	that I touch/play
tú	toces that you touch/play	that you touch/play
él/ella/usted	toce that he/she/you touch/play	that he/she/you touch/play
nosotros	tocemos that we touch/play	that we touch/play
vosotros	tocéis that you all touch/play	that you all touch/play
ellos/ustedes	tocen that they/you all touch/play	that they/you all touch/play

🌙

Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	tocara or tocase that I touch/played	that I touch/played
tú	tocaras or tocases that you touch/played	that you touch/played
él/ella/usted	tocara or tocase that he/she/you touch/played	that he/she/you touch/played
nosotros	tocáramos or tocásemos that we touch/played	that we touch/played
vosotros	tocarais or tocaseis that you all touch/played	that you all touch/played
ellos/ustedes	tocaran or tocasen that they/you all touch/played	that they/you all touch/played

Compound Tenses

✅

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed recently or with present relevance

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	he tocado I have touch/played	I have touch/played
tú	has tocado you have touch/played	you have touch/played
él/ella/usted	ha tocado he/she/you have touch/played	he/she/you have touch/played
nosotros	hemos tocado we have touch/played	we have touch/played
vosotros	habéis tocado you all have touch/played	you all have touch/played
ellos/ustedes	han tocado they/you all have touch/played	they/you all have touch/played

⏪

Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	había tocado I had touch/played	I had touch/played
tú	habías tocado you had touch/played	you had touch/played
él/ella/usted	había tocado he/she/you had touch/played	he/she/you had touch/played
nosotros	habíamos tocado we had touch/played	we had touch/played
vosotros	habíais tocado you all had touch/played	you all had touch/played
ellos/ustedes	habían tocado they/you all had touch/played	they/you all had touch/played

📍

Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)

Actions completed immediately before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hube tocado I had touch/played	I had touch/played
tú	hubiste tocado you had touch/played	you had touch/played
él/ella/usted	hubo tocado he/she/you had touch/played	he/she/you had touch/played
nosotros	hubimos tocado we had touch/played	we had touch/played
vosotros	hubisteis tocado you all had touch/played	you all had touch/played
ellos/ustedes	hubieron tocado they/you all had touch/played	they/you all had touch/played

🎊

Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)

Actions that will be completed by a future time

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habré tocado I will have touch/played	I will have touch/played
tú	habrás tocado you will have touch/played	you will have touch/played
él/ella/usted	habrá tocado he/she/you will have touch/played	he/she/you will have touch/played
nosotros	habremos tocado we will have touch/played	we will have touch/played
vosotros	habréis tocado you all will have touch/played	you all will have touch/played
ellos/ustedes	habrán tocado they/you all will have touch/played	they/you all will have touch/played

🔄

Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)

Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habría tocado I would have touch/played	I would have touch/played
tú	habrías tocado you would have touch/played	you would have touch/played
él/ella/usted	habría tocado he/she/you would have touch/played	he/she/you would have touch/played
nosotros	habríamos tocado we would have touch/played	we would have touch/played
vosotros	habríais tocado you all would have touch/played	you all would have touch/played
ellos/ustedes	habrían tocado they/you all would have touch/played	they/you all would have touch/played

💫

Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed in relation to the present

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	haya tocado that I have touch/played	that I have touch/played
tú	hayas tocado that you have touch/played	that you have touch/played
él/ella/usted	haya tocado that he/she/you have touch/played	that he/she/you have touch/played
nosotros	hayamos tocado that we have touch/played	that we have touch/played
vosotros	hayáis tocado that you all have touch/played	that you all have touch/played
ellos/ustedes	hayan tocado that they/you all have touch/played	that they/you all have touch/played

🌌

Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hubiera tocado that I had touch/played	that I had touch/played
tú	hubieras tocado that you had touch/played	that you had touch/played
él/ella/usted	hubiera tocado that he/she/you had touch/played	that he/she/you had touch/played
nosotros	hubiéramos tocado that we had touch/played	that we had touch/played
vosotros	hubierais tocado that you all had touch/played	that you all had touch/played
ellos/ustedes	hubieran tocado that they/you all had touch/played	that they/you all had touch/played

❗

Commands (imperativo)

Commands and direct orders

Person	Command	English
tú	toca	touch/play! (you)
usted	toce	touch/play! (you formal)
nosotros	tocemos	let's touch/play!
vosotros	tocad	touch/play! (you all)
ustedes	tocen	touch/play! (you all)

🚫

Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)

Negative commands and prohibitions

Person	Command	English
tú	no toces	don't touch/play! (you)
usted	no toce	don't touch/play! (you formal)
nosotros	no tocemos	let's not touch/play!
vosotros	no tocéis	don't touch/play! (you all)
ustedes	no tocen	don't touch/play! (you all)

More About "tocar"

Idiomatic Expressions

tocar madera

to knock on wood

💡 Superstitious gesture for luck

tocarle a uno

to be one's turn

💡 When it's someone's turn

Examples in Context

Toqué la guitarra en el concierto.

I played the guitar at the concert.

Preterite

No toques eso.

Don't touch that.

Imperative

Me ha tocado la lotería.

I have won the lottery.

Present Perfect

Te tocará a ti.

It will be your turn.

Future

Usage Notes

•Tocar has spelling change: c→qu before e
•Main meanings: to touch, to play (instrument)
•Can mean "to be one's turn"

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Tocar

Simple Tenses

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