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rozar

ro-SAR/ or /ro-THAR/roˈθar/

to graze

Also: to brush against, to rub
VerbA2regular with spelling change ar
SpainLatin America
A hand lightly brushing against the petals of a vibrant red flower while walking by.
gerundrozando
past Participlerozado
infinitiverozar

📝 In Action

La bala le rozó el brazo.

A2

The bullet grazed his arm.

Siento que algo me rozó la pierna en el agua.

B1

I feel like something brushed against my leg in the water.

Ten cuidado de no rozar el coche contra la pared.

B1

Be careful not to rub the car against the wall.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • rozar suavemente – to brush gently
  • sin rozar – without touching

to verge on

Also: to border on
VerbB2regular with spelling change ar
A small boat floating on a calm sea, positioned right at the edge of a thick, mysterious fog bank.

📝 In Action

Su comportamiento rozaba la locura.

B2

His behavior verged on madness.

Ese comentario roza el ridículo.

C1

That comment borders on being ridiculous.

Su actuación rozó la perfección.

B2

Her performance was close to perfection.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • bordear (to border)

Common Collocations

  • rozar la perfección – to verge on perfection
  • rozar lo imposible – to border on the impossible

to chafe

Also: to rub the wrong way
VerbB1regular with spelling change arinformal
A person's heel with a small red patch of skin where a stiff shoe has rubbed against it.

📝 In Action

Estos zapatos me rozan en el talón.

B1

These shoes chafe my heel.

La etiqueta de la camisa me está rozando.

A2

The shirt tag is rubbing against me (irritating me).

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesrozaran
yorozara
túrozaras
vosotrosrozarais
nosotrosrozáramos
él/ella/ustedrozara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesrocen
yoroce
túroces
vosotrosrocéis
nosotrosrocemos
él/ella/ustedroce

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesrozaron
yorocé
túrozaste
vosotrosrozasteis
nosotrosrozamos
él/ella/ustedrozó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesrozaban
yorozaba
túrozabas
vosotrosrozabais
nosotrosrozábamos
él/ella/ustedrozaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesrozan
yorozo
túrozas
vosotrosrozáis
nosotrosrozamos
él/ella/ustedroza
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "rozar" in Spanish:

to chafe→to graze→to rub→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: rozar

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I grazed' in the past tense?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
roce(touch/friction) — Noun
rozadura(scrape/chafe) — Noun
rozamiento(friction) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From Vulgar Latin 'rosare', likely related to 'rodere', which means 'to gnaw' or 'to wear away'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: roçar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'rozar' the same as 'tocar'?

No. 'Tocar' is any kind of touch, while 'rozar' specifically implies a very light, passing, or sliding touch.

Why does the spelling change in 'rocé'?

Spanish spelling rules avoid 'ze'. To keep the soft sound before an 'e', we swap 'z' for 'c'.

Can 'rozar' be used for people?

Yes, if you accidentally brush against someone in a crowd, you can say 'te rocé sin querer'.