Inklingo
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A close-up of a finger gently touching the surface of a calm pond, creating small ripples.

toquen

TOH-kehn

verbA2irregular spelling change ar
touch?physical contact,play?musical instruments
Also:knock?on a door,be their turn?as in 'it's their turn to do something'

Quick Reference

past Participletocado
infinitivetocar
gerundtocando

📝 In Action

No toquen nada en el museo, por favor.

A1

Don't touch anything in the museum, please.

Espero que ellos toquen mi canción favorita.

A2

I hope they play my favorite song.

Diles que toquen la puerta antes de entrar.

B1

Tell them to knock on the door before coming in.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • palpen (feel/touch)
  • interpreten (perform/play)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • toquen fondo – to hit rock bottom
  • toquen madera – knock on wood

Idioms & Expressions

  • les toquen las palmas – to egg someone on or encourage someone

💡 Grammar Points

Why the 'qu' spelling?

The letter 'c' sounds like an 's' when it is next to an 'e'. Since the original verb is 'tocar' (with a hard 'k' sound), we change the 'c' to 'qu' so the sound stays the same when we add the 'en' ending.

When to use 'toquen'

Use this form when you are giving a command to a group of people (you all) or when you are expressing a wish or doubt about 'them' or 'you all'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Toquen vs. Tocan

Mistake: "Using 'tocan' for commands."

Correction: Use 'toquen' for commands and 'tocan' for simple facts. Say '¡No toquen!' (Don't touch!) instead of '¡No tocan!'

⭐ Usage Tips

Playing Instruments

In Spanish, you don't 'play' (jugar) an instrument; you 'touch' (tocar) it. Use 'toquen' when asking a band to play.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

present

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

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedestocaran
vosotrostocarais
él/ella/ustedtocara
nosotrostocáramos
tútocaras
yotocara

indicative

preterite

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

imperfect

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

present

ellos/ellas/ustedestocan
vosotrostocáis
él/ella/ustedtoca
nosotrostocamos
tútocas
yotoco
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: toquen

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence is a command telling a group of people not to touch the art?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

tocar(to touch/play) - verb
el toque(the touch/stroke) - noun
el tocador(the dresser/vanity) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'toquen' the same as 'play' for sports?

No. Use 'toquen' for musical instruments or physical touch. For sports, use 'jueguen' (from the verb jugar).