Tocar Verb Conjugation in Spanish

Luckily, tocar is a regular verb in all tenses and follows all the regular conjugation rules. In the preterite “yo” form, there is a one small spelling change, c → qu, but this is only to maintain the correct sound.

Example Sentence:

• El cantante toca la guitarra mientras canta. → The singer plays the guitar while he sings.

Example Sentence:

• Antes yo tocaba el piano pero ya se me ha olvidado. → I used to play the piano but now I’ve forgotten how to.

Example Sentence:

• Cuando estábamos en el zoo, tocamos las jirafas y les dimos de comer. → When we were at the zoo, we touched the giraffes and fed them.

Example Sentence:

• Durante el concierto, los niños tocarán sus instrumentos. → During the concert, the children will play their instruments.

Example Sentence:

• Si pudiera, tocaría la cima del Monte Everest. → If I could, I would touch the top of Mount Everest.

Surprisingly, the verb tocar can translate to many other verbs such as “ring, knock and honk.” Here is a list of phrases with the verb tocar that you might hear among native-speakers. Make note of the ones that you may want to use in the future!

• no tocar
  You will most likely read this inside of museums which most directly translates to “don’t touch.”

• tocar (a) la puerta
  This expression translates to “knock on the door.” Depending on what country you’re in, you may or may not hear this phrase with the preposition “a.”

• tocar (al/el) timbre
  This phrase translates to “ring the doorbell.” It also may or may not be said with the preposition “a” depending on the country you’re in.

• tocar la bocina/el claxon
  This expression translates to “to honk your horn (in your car).” This may not be a phrase you use often but it’s good to know and recognize.

• tocar fondo
  Meaning, “to hit rock bottom” or “to hit an all-time low,” this expression is used to talk about people going through a difficult time in their lives. It is also used to talk about money or a company that is not doing so well economically.
  
  Example: Esta mañana el peso mexicano tocó fondo. → This morning the Mexican peso hit an all-time low.

• tocar madera
  This translates to and has the same meaning as “knock on wood” which is said when someone wants to avoid bad luck.
  
  Example: Toco madera: hasta ahora no me he roto ningún hueso. → Knock on wood: up until now, I have not broken a bone.

Now that you have a list of the most used conjugations of tocar as well as some key idiomatic expressions, you can feel comfortable using it in your everyday conversations.