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tocaba

toh-KAH-bah/toˈkaβa/

was touching, used to touch

Also: was feeling, was knocking
VerbA1regular (in this tense) ar
A small child gently touches a fluffy white cloud with one finger, emphasizing the action of touching.
past Participletocado
gerundtocando
infinitivetocar

📝 In Action

Ella siempre tocaba las flores en el jardín.

A1

She always used to touch the flowers in the garden.

Cuando era niño, tocaba la pared para asegurarse de que estaba allí.

A2

When I was a child, I was touching (or used to touch) the wall to make sure it was there.

Alguien tocaba a la puerta cuando llegamos.

B1

Someone was knocking at the door when we arrived.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • palpar (to feel/to touch gently)
  • rozar (to brush against)

Common Collocations

  • tocaba la piel – was touching the skin
  • tocaba la puerta – was knocking on the door

was playing, used to play

VerbA1imperfect indicative ar
A happy bear sitting on a wooden tree stump, actively playing a small wooden violin with a bow.

📝 In Action

Mi abuelo tocaba el piano todos los domingos.

A1

My grandfather used to play the piano every Sunday.

Ella tocaba la guitarra cuando la conocí.

A2

She was playing the guitar when I met her.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • tocaba jazz – was playing jazz

it was my/his/her turn, was supposed to

Also: was up to, was necessary
VerbB1imperfect indicative ar
A short line of three different cartoon animals: a rabbit, a fox, and a squirrel. The rabbit is at the front, holding a small treat, and the other two are waiting patiently behind it, illustrating sequence.

📝 In Action

Me tocaba a mí lavar los platos anoche.

B1

It was my turn to wash the dishes last night.

Tocaba ir al médico, pero lo pospusimos.

B2

It was necessary to go to the doctor, but we postponed it. (Literally: It touched to go...)

A ella le tocaba recibir el premio.

B2

It was her turn (or her due) to receive the prize.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • corresponder (to be one's turn/duty)
  • deber (to be supposed to)

Common Collocations

  • le tocaba hacer – it was his/her turn to do

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

nosotrostocamos
tútocas
él/ella/ustedtoca
yotoco
vosotrostocáis
ellos/ellas/ustedestocan

imperfect

nosotrostocábamos
tútocabas
él/ella/ustedtocaba
yotocaba
vosotrostocabais
ellos/ellas/ustedestocaban

preterite

nosotrostocamos
tútocaste
él/ella/ustedtocó
yotoqué
vosotrostocasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedestocaron

subjunctive

present

nosotrostoquemos
tútoques
él/ella/ustedtoque
yotoque
vosotrostoquéis
ellos/ellas/ustedestoquen

imperfect

nosotrostocáramos
tútocaras
él/ella/ustedtocara
yotocara
vosotrostocarais
ellos/ellas/ustedestocaran
View All Tenses & Moods →

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: tocaba

Question 1 of 2

Which English phrase best describes the meaning of 'Me tocaba ir al dentista'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
tocar(to touch, to play) — Verb
el toque(the touch, the knock) — Noun
intocable(untouchable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Vulgar Latin *toccare*, which meant 'to strike' or 'to knock.' This explains why the word applies both to physical contact and to making sounds (playing instruments or knocking).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: tocarFrench: toucher

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Frequently Asked Questions

If I want to say 'He touched the hot stove once,' should I use 'tocaba'?

No. 'Tocaba' is for repeated or continuous actions. For a single, finished action like touching the stove once, you must use the Preterite tense: 'Él tocó la estufa caliente.'

How do I know if 'tocaba' means 'touching' or 'playing music'?

Context is key! If an instrument (like 'guitarra' or 'piano') is mentioned, it means 'playing.' If a body part or surface is mentioned (like 'la mesa' or 'la cara'), it means 'touching.'