Inklingo

How to Say "they ring" in Spanish

English → Spanish

suenan

/SWAE-nan//ˈswenan/

verbA1general
Use 'suenan' when referring to sounds made by inanimate objects like bells or alarms, indicating they are producing a ringing sound.
A row of colorful musical instruments including a drum, a flute, and a trumpet on a white background.

Examples

Las campanas de la iglesia suenan a las ocho.

The church bells ring at eight o'clock.

Tus llaves suenan mucho cuando caminas.

Your keys jingle a lot when you walk.

Esos instrumentos no suenan muy bien hoy.

Those instruments don't sound very good today.

The Hidden 'U'

This word comes from 'sonar'. Notice how the 'o' changes to 'ue' in this form. This only happens when the beat of the word falls on that specific vowel.

Don't Forget the 'U'

Mistake: “Ellos sonan.”

Correction: Ellos suenan. Because the stress is on the root, the 'o' must change to 'ue'.

tocan

toh-kahn/ˈtokan/

verbA2general
Use 'tocan' when referring to the action of someone actively making a bell or buzzer sound, such as at a door or for attention.
Two hands knocking on a bright blue wooden door.

Examples

Tocan a la puerta.

Someone is knocking at the door (literally: 'They knock').

Ellos tocan el timbre.

They ring the doorbell.

The 'Someone' Rule

In Spanish, using 'tocan' (they knock) is the standard way to say 'someone is knocking' without specifying who it is.

Suenan vs. Tocan

Learners often confuse 'suenan' and 'tocan' by using 'suenan' when someone is actively ringing a bell (like a doorbell). Remember, 'suenan' describes the sound itself, while 'tocan' describes the action of making that sound.

Related Translations

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