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How to Say "knocks" in Spanish

English → Spanish

golpea

/gol-PÉH-ah//ɡolˈpea/

VerbA1General
Use 'golpea' when referring to the action of someone hitting or striking something, especially a door, with force.
A cartoon character's hand is shown mid-action, striking a large, colorful drum with force.

Examples

Ella golpea la puerta para entrar.

She knocks on the door to enter.

El viento golpea las ventanas toda la noche.

The wind hits the windows all night.

Si usted golpea el tambor, sonará más fuerte.

If you (formal) hit the drum, it will sound louder.

Dual Role of 'Golpea'

This single form means two things: 'He/She/It hits' (Present tense) AND 'Hit!' (giving a friendly command to one person, the tú imperative).

Confusing 'Golpear' and 'Pegar'

Mistake: “Using 'pegar' when referring to the wind or waves hitting something, which often sounds too harsh.”

Correction: 'Golpear' is better for non-aggressive striking, like wind on a window or waves on the shore. 'El mar golpea la costa'.

toca

/TOH-kah//ˈtoka/

VerbA1General
Use 'toca' when referring to a light tap or a gentle hit, often used for knocking on a door in a less forceful manner than 'golpea'.
A close-up of a hand gently touching the smooth, red surface of a ripe apple.

Examples

Ella nunca toca la pared porque está recién pintada.

She never touches the wall because it's freshly painted.

¿Quién toca la puerta?

Who is knocking on the door?

Usted toca el tema con demasiada sensibilidad.

You (formal) approach the subject too sensitively.

Pronouncing the Hard 'K' Sound

The letter 'c' sounds like 'k' when followed by a, o, or u (tocar). However, if you need to use the 'k' sound before e or i, the spelling changes to 'qu' (e.g., toqué, toques).

Confusing 'Tocar' with 'Sentir'

Mistake: “Using 'tocar' to express emotional feeling (e.g., 'Toco triste').”

Correction: Use 'sentir' for feelings ('Siento triste') and 'tocar' only for physical contact or playing music.

golpes

GOHL-pehs/ˈɡolpes/

NounA2General
Use 'golpes' to refer to the sounds or impacts of repeated hitting, like the sound of wind against a tree or multiple knocks.
A simple illustration showing a red boxing glove striking a blue boxing glove in mid-air, with motion lines indicating a forceful impact, symbolizing physical blows.

Examples

El árbol resistió los golpes del viento fuerte.

The tree resisted the blows from the strong wind.

Después de la pelea, tenía muchos golpes en el cuerpo.

After the fight, he had many bruises/hits on his body.

La empresa sufrió varios golpes financieros este año.

The company suffered several financial shocks this year.

Always Masculine

Remember that 'golpes' is a masculine plural noun, so any descriptive words (adjectives) you use with it must also be masculine and plural: 'golpes fuertes' (strong blows).

Using 'Golpes' for Bruises

Mistake: “Using 'golpes' to mean 'bruises' when the focus is the discoloration: 'Tengo un golpe azul.'”

Correction: While 'golpe' can mean the injury, 'moretón' is the common word for the bruise itself. Say: 'Tengo un moretón grande.' (I have a big bruise.)

toques

TOH-kehs[ˈto.kes]

NounB1General
Use 'toques' to describe light sounds or gentle impacts, or metaphorically for small additions, like a 'touch' of flavor.
Close-up view of three human fingertips gently making contact with a brightly colored, textured fabric or blanket, illustrating multiple points of contact.

Examples

Necesita unos toques de sal para mejorar el sabor.

It needs a few touches of salt to improve the flavor.

Escuché unos toques en la ventana y me asusté.

I heard some knocks on the window and got scared.

La pintura tiene unos toques impresionistas muy bonitos.

The painting has some very beautiful Impressionistic touches (flair).

Plural of 'toque'

This is the plural form of the masculine noun 'el toque'. It means more than one 'touch' or 'knock'.

Verb vs. Noun Confusion

Learners often confuse the verb forms ('golpea', 'toca') with the noun forms ('golpes', 'toques'). Remember that verbs describe an action ('he/she knocks'), while nouns describe the sound or result of an action ('the knocks were loud').

Related Translations

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