How to Say "to encounter" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to encounter” is “topar” — B1 level.
Examples
Al doblar la esquina, topé con un viejo amigo.
Upon turning the corner, I ran into an old friend.
Ten cuidado, no vayas a topar con la mesa.
Be careful, don't bump into the table.
Nuestro proyecto topó con muchos obstáculos legales.
Our project ran into many legal obstacles.
Using the 'Bridge' Word
When you want to say who or what you ran into, you almost always need to use the word 'con' (with). Example: 'Topé con María' (I ran into María).
Adding 'se' for Personal Encounters
Often, you will see this as 'toparse'. Adding 'se' makes the encounter feel more accidental or unexpected.
Don't Forget 'Con'
Mistake: “Topé mi amigo en el parque.”
Correction: Topé CON mi amigo en el parque. (You need the word 'con' to connect the action to the person.)
Related Translations
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