prohibido tocar
/pɾoibido tokaɾ/from spelling rules
The English phrase "no touching" is expressed in Spanish as prohibido tocar.
prohibido tocar is a command used to tell people that they are not allowed to touch something. It is most commonly seen on formal signs in museums, shops or exhibits to prevent damage to items.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the past participle prohibido (forbidden) and the infinitive tocar (to touch).
Which one should you use?
A shorter, more direct alternative often seen on signs is no tocar, which translates to "do not touch".
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, signs of prohibition often use the masculine singular form prohibido followed by an infinitive, even if the object being protected is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾoibido tokaɾ/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, tocar means 'to be one's turn'. For example, me toca a mí means 'it is my turn'.
- The verb tocar is a polysemous word that can also mean 'to play' an instrument. In a musical context, telling someone no tocar might mean 'do not play', rather than 'do not touch'.
- In Spanish, the word tocar is often used to describe a doorbell ringing, as the sound is produced by touching the bell mechanism.
Examples in context
- No toque eso, por favor.Please do not touch that.
- Evite tocar, por favor.Please avoid touching.
- Le pido que no toque.I kindly ask you not to touch.
- No toques eso, por favor.Please don't touch that.
- No lo toques, por favor.Don't touch it, please.
- Deja de manosear, ¿sí?Stop groping, okay?
- No le metás mano, che.Don't put your hands on it, hey.
- Deja de toquetear, ¿vale?Stop fiddling around, okay?
- Mejor ni le toques, tío/a.It's better if you don't touch it, dude.
- Está prohibido tocar las obras de arte.It is forbidden to touch the artworks.
- Está prohibido tocar los botones del panel.It is forbidden to touch the panel buttons.
- ¡Prohibido tocar! Es una pieza de museo.No touching! It is a museum piece.
Example conversation
At a museum, Javier reaches for a statue.
- María¡Javier, no lo hagas! Está prohibido tocar.Javier, don't do it! Touching is forbidden.
- JavierLo siento, María, solo quería ver la textura.I'm sorry, María, I just wanted to see the texture.
- MaríaDebes respetar las reglas de la sala.You must respect the rules of the room.
- JavierTienes razón, no volverá a pasar.You're right, it won't happen again.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
