tocar
verbo transitivo
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
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
el delantero tocó la pelota con la mano the forward handled (the ball)
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
3 (hacer sonar) [+piano, violín, trompeta] to play; [+campana, timbre] to ring; [+tambor] to beat; [+silbato] to blow; [+disco] to play
el reloj de la iglesia ha tocado las diez the church clock has just struck ten
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
6 (estar emparentado con) to be related to
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
verbo intransitivo
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
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?
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?
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
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!
verbo pronominal
tocarse1 (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)
