Inklingo

How to Say "tap" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “tap” is “grifo” — use 'grifo' for the fixture that controls the flow of water from a pipe, commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms in Spain.

English → Spanish

grifo

GREE-foˈɡɾifo

nounA2general
Use 'grifo' for the fixture that controls the flow of water from a pipe, commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms in Spain.
A shiny silver water faucet with a single drop of water falling from the spout.

Examples

Por favor, cierra el grifo cuando te laves los dientes.

Please, turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth.

El grifo de la cocina gotea y hace mucho ruido.

The kitchen tap is dripping and making a lot of noise.

En esta ciudad, el agua del grifo es potable y muy rica.

In this city, the tap water is safe to drink and very tasty.

Opening and Closing

In Spanish, you 'open' (abrir) and 'close' (cerrar) a faucet just like you do with a door or a window.

Describing Tap Water

To say 'tap water,' always use the phrase 'agua del grifo.' Don't say 'agua de grifo' without the 'del'.

Grifo vs. Llave

Mistake: “Using 'llave' for every faucet in Spain.”

Correction: While many Latin American countries use 'llave,' in Spain 'grifo' is the specific word for the water fixture.

llave

ya-behˈʎa.be

nounA2general
Use 'llave' for the valve or tap that controls the flow of water, particularly common in Latin America for faucets.
A modern silver kitchen faucet with a stream of clear water pouring into a white sink.

Examples

Cierra la llave del agua para que no se desperdicie.

Turn off the water faucet so it's not wasted.

La llave de la cocina está goteando.

The kitchen faucet is dripping.

toque

TOH-kehˈto.ke

nounA1general
Use 'toque' to describe a light, quick touch or contact, like a gentle tap on the shoulder.
Two human index fingers lightly touching tips, symbolizing physical contact.

Examples

Sentí un toque en mi hombro y me giré.

I felt a touch on my shoulder and turned around.

Solo dale un toque suave al botón para encenderlo.

Just give the button a gentle tap to turn it on.

Connecting to the verb

This noun comes directly from the verb 'tocar' (to touch/play). Think of it as 'the action of touching.'

tac

takˈtak

nounA2onomatopoeia
Use 'tac' to represent the sound of high heels clicking on a hard surface or a light, repetitive striking sound.
A finger pressing down on a computer mouse button.

Examples

Escuché el tac, tac, tac de sus tacones en el pasillo.

I heard the tap, tap, tap of her heels in the hallway.

Al cerrar la puerta, se oyó un ligero tac.

When closing the door, a light click was heard.

El reloj marcaba los segundos con un suave tac.

The clock marked the seconds with a soft tick.

Sound words

Spanish uses 'onomatopoeias' (words that sound like the noise they describe) very frequently in stories. 'Tac' is the standard way to write a dry, sharp sound.

Don't confuse with 'tacto'

Mistake: “El tac de la piel.”

Correction: El tacto de la piel. 'Tacto' is the sense of touch, while 'tac' is just a sound.

tapa

TAH-pahˈtapa

nounB1technical (shoes)
Use 'tapa' specifically in cobbling and shoe repair to refer to the heel piece of a shoe.
A detailed close-up of the bottom end of a slender black high heel, showing the small, round, black rubber heel tip.

Examples

Necesito llevar estos zapatos al zapatero para cambiar la tapa.

I need to take these shoes to the cobbler to change the heel tip.

La tapa de mis botas ya está muy gastada.

The sole/heel tip of my boots is already very worn out.

macho

MAH-chohˈmatʃo

nounB2technical (tools)
Use 'macho' for a specialized tool used in metalworking to cut internal screw threads.
A metal tap tool used for cutting internal screw threads resting on a workbench.

Examples

Necesitamos un macho de métrica 8 para hacer la rosca.

We need an M8 tap to make the thread.

El cable tiene un macho que se conecta a la hembra del enchufe.

The cable has a plug (male connector) that connects to the socket (female connector).

Faucet vs. Other Meanings

The most common confusion for learners is between 'grifo' and 'llave' for faucet. While both are understood, 'grifo' is more common in Spain and 'llave' is more prevalent in Latin America. Be aware that 'llave' also commonly means 'key', so context is crucial.

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