Inklingo
← Dictionary

tacto

TAK-toh/ˈtakto/

“tacto” means “touch” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

touch

Also: feel
NounmA2
A close-up illustration of a hand gently touching the soft petal of a vibrant red flower.

📝 In Action

El tacto de esta cobija es muy suave.

A1

The feel of this blanket is very soft.

El sentido del tacto nos permite sentir la temperatura.

A2

The sense of touch allows us to feel temperature.

Perdió el tacto en las manos debido al frío extremo.

B2

He lost the sense of touch in his hands due to the extreme cold.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • palpación (feeling/examining by touch)

Common Collocations

  • sentido del tacto – sense of touch
  • suave al tacto – soft to the touch
  • perder el tacto – to lose feeling/the sense of touch

tact

Also: sensitivity
NounmB2
An illustration of one person placing a comforting hand on another person's shoulder during a conversation.

📝 In Action

Tienes que tener tacto cuando hables con él sobre su despido.

B1

You need to have tact when you talk to him about his dismissal.

El jefe no tiene ningún tacto para dar noticias malas.

B2

The boss has no tact at all when giving bad news.

Manejó la discusión con mucho tacto y diplomacia.

C1

She handled the discussion with a lot of tact and diplomacy.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • diplomacia (diplomacy)
  • delicadeza (delicacy/gentleness)

Antonyms

  • brusquedad (abruptness/rudeness)
  • indiscreción (indiscretion)

Common Collocations

  • tener tacto – to have tact
  • falta de tacto – lack of tact

Idioms & Expressions

  • con pies de plomo – To act with great caution and tact

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tacto

Question 1 of 3

If a surface feels like sandpaper, you are describing its...

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
táctil(tactile/touch-sensitive) — Adjective
contacto(contact) — Noun
contactar(to contact) — Verb
tiento(caution/careful touch) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'tactus,' which is the past form of 'tangere' (to touch). It describes both the physical act of touching and the figurative 'feeling' for a situation.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: tactFrench: tactItalian: tatto

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'tacto' only for physical touching?

No. While it describes the sense of touch, it is very commonly used to mean 'diplomacy' or 'sensitivity' in social interactions.

What is the difference between 'tacto' and 'contacto'?

'Tacto' is the internal sense or the quality of a surface. 'Contacto' is the actual event of two things touching each other.

How do you say 'touch screen' in Spanish?

We use the related word 'táctil': 'pantalla táctil'.