Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tocar | /toˈkaɾ/ | |
| palpar | /palˈpaɾ/ | |
| apalpar | /apalpaɾ/ (from spelling rules) | colloquial |
| tangir | /tanˈxiɾ/ | |
| tastar | /tasˈtaɾ/ | |
| percanzar | /peɾkanθaɾ/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /peɾkansaɾ/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
The most common way to express making physical contact with an object or a person lightly is to use tocar. Interestingly, tocar is also the verb used for playing a musical instrument. Related nouns include toque, which can mean a physical touch or a person's unique style, knack or distinguishing feature.
Which one should you use?
While tocar is the general term for touch, palpar is more specific and refers to a focused physical examination by touch. Apalpar is a colloquial term specifically used to describe the act of frisking or patting down, such as a police officer frisking a suspect. If you want to express a stronger sense of touch, such as grabbing or firmly grasping, you might use agarrar.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Palpar is a formal term used primarily in medical or scientific contexts to refer to examining or feeling something. In contrast, apalpar is a colloquial expression.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
For the verb tocar, the first-person singular present form is yo toco (I touch) and the second-person singular present form is tú tocas (you touch).
How do you pronounce it?
/toˈkaɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the phrase me toca a mí does not mean 'I am touching it', but rather 'it is my turn'.
- The verb tangir is a 'learned borrowing' from Latin, making it a rare, high-register version of tocar used mostly for bells.
- The expression tocar fondo means 'to hit rock bottom' emotionally or financially, rather than touching a physical floor.
Examples in context
- No puedo tocar fuego.I cannot touch fire.This sentence shows how to express an inability to touch something like fire using tocar.Tatoeba #1805545 by marcelostockle, translation #1727844 by Amastan
- Ellos no tocaron nada.They didn't touch anything.This sentence uses the past tense of tocar to describe a lack of contact with anything.Tatoeba #2280475 by hayastan, translation #2280422 by CK
- Basta con tocar el botón.You have only to touch the button.This sentence demonstrates the use of tocar for the action of touching a button.Tatoeba #1433250 by marcelostockle, translation #16524 by dougwalkerfan2002wow
- Tóquelo con cuidado.Touch it carefully.
- No toques ese objeto sin guantes.Don't touch that object without gloves.
- El médico va a palpar su abdomen.The doctor is going to palpate your abdomen.
- Toca este libro.Touch this book.
- No toques mi teléfono.Don't touch my phone.
- ¡No me agarres así!Don't touch/grab me like that!
- Agárrame la mano.Hold my hand.
- Palparon sus órganos para detectar cualquier anormalidad.They palpated his organs to detect any abnormalities.
- No me agarres tan fuerte.Don't touch/grab me so hard.
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a museum, Lucía and Mateo are looking at an artwork.
- Lucía¡No puedes tocar la pintura!You can't touch the painting!
- MateoLo siento, solo quería tocar la textura.I'm sorry, I just wanted to touch the texture.
- LucíaEs peligroso para la obra.It is dangerous for the artwork.
- MateoTienes razón, Lucía. Tendré más cuidado.You're right, Lucía. I will be more careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “touch” translations and entries tocar, palpar, tangir, tastar, percanzar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries palpar, tangir, tocar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
