Toco la guitarra
/toko la ɡitara/from spelling rules
The English phrase i play the guitar is translated into Spanish as Toco la guitarra.
The verb at its core, tocar, means both 'to play' and 'to touch'. You can specify the type of guitar by using these terms: guitarra clásica for classical guitar, guitarra eléctrica for electric guitar and guitarra acústica for acoustic guitar.
What does it mean word for word?
The word toco literally means 'I touch' or 'I play', stemming from the verb 'tocar' which refers to playing instruments that are physically touched.
Which one should you use?
In Spanish, you use the verb tocar to talk about playing musical instruments, whereas the verb jugar is used for playing games or sports.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular form toco already includes the meaning of 'I play', so the pronoun yo is often omitted unless you wish to add emphasis.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying juego la guitarra. English speakers sometimes mistakenly use jugar (to play games) instead of tocar (to play instruments) when translating this phrase.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the verb tocar is also used to say it is your turn to do something, such as saying me toca for 'it is my turn'.
- The word guitarra traveled through five languages before reaching modern Spanish, moving from Pre-Greek to Ancient Greek, Aramaic, Arabic and then Old Spanish.
- While guitarra refers to the instrument, the Spanish word toque describes the unique style or 'touch' a specific musician brings to their playing.
Examples in context
- Toco la guitarra cada día.I play the guitar every day.This sentence is useful for describing how often you play the guitar.Tatoeba #9422603 by ignacio, translation #9422611 by DJ_Saidez
- En mi tiempo libre toco la guitarra.I play the guitar in my spare time.This sentence is useful for describing when you play the guitar in your free time.Tatoeba #621972 by Leono, translation #266091 by CK
- Toco la guitarra.I play the guitar.This sentence is a simple way to state that you play the guitar.Tatoeba #2154801 by hayastan, translation #2050553 by CK
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are talking about their hobbies in a café.
- AlejandroToco la guitarra en una banda.I play the guitar in a band.
- Lucía¿De verdad? ¡Qué bien, Alejandro!Really? That's great, Alejandro!
- AlejandroSí, es mi pasión.Yes, it is my passion.
- LucíaA mí me gustaría aprender.I would like to learn.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries guitarra, la, toco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
