tocar la bocina
/tokaɾ la boθina/from spelling rules
To honk the horn in Spanish is to tocar la bocina.
The phrase is used to describe the act of pressing the button on a vehicle to make a loud noise to get attention. You can use it as a command, such as ¡Toca la bocina! to tell a driver to honk the horn.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb tocar, which means to touch or to play and la bocina, which means the horn.
Which one should you use?
While tocar la bocina is a standard way to express this, you can also use the single verb pitar to convey the same meaning.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is very common to use the word claxon instead of bocina, resulting in the phrase tocar el claxon. Additionally, the verb pitar is used mainly in Spain to mean honking the horn.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express a completed action in the past, such as 'he/she honked the horn', you would use the third-person singular preterite form tocó la bocina.
How do you pronounce it?
/tokaɾ la boθina/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, you might hear the word claxon instead of bocina. This is actually a loanword from the brand name 'Klaxon', which was a famous manufacturer of horns.
- The word bocina shares its roots with the Spanish word boca, meaning 'mouth'. This connection stems from the idea of a device that acts as an artificial mouth to project sound.
- The word bocina is a distant relative of the French word buisine, which refers to a medieval wind instrument.
Examples in context
- Recuerda tocar la bocina al pasar por una zona peligrosaRemember to honk the horn when passing through a dangerous area
- Es común pitar para alertar en este tipo de carreterasIt's common to honk the horn to alert on these types of roads
- No debes tocar la bocina en esta zona.You shouldn't honk the horn in this area.
- Él decidió tocar la bocina para avisar.He decided to honk the horn to warn them.
- ¿Puedes tocar la bocina para que nos vean?Can you honk the horn so they see us?
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are stuck in heavy traffic.
- AlejandroEl coche de adelante no se mueve.The car in front is not moving.
- LucíaVoy a tocar la bocina para que avance.I am going to honk the horn to make him move.
- AlejandroTen cuidado, Lucía, no seas muy ruidosa.Be careful, Lucía, don't be too loud.
- LucíaSolo es para llamar su atención.It is just to get his attention.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bocina, la, tocar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
