How to Say "to poke" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to poke” is “pinchar” — use this word when 'to poke' means to prick yourself or something else, often causing a small puncture, or to gently poke someone to get their attention..
pinchar
/peen-CHAR//pinˈtʃaɾ/
Examples
Ten cuidado con el cactus, no te vayas a pinchar.
Be careful with the cactus, don't prick yourself.
Tienes que pinchar en el enlace para ver el video.
You have to click on the link to see the video.
Se me pinchó una rueda del coche en la autopista.
I got a flat tire on the highway (literally: A wheel punctured itself on me).
Using 'Se' for Accidents
When a tire goes flat, Spanish speakers often say 'se me pinchó la rueda.' This implies it was an accident that happened 'to' you, rather than something you did on purpose.
Clicking in Tech
When talking about computers, use the word 'en' after pinchar, like 'pincha en el icono' (click on the icon).
Click vs. Pinchar
Mistake: “Hacer click el link.”
Correction: Pinchar en el link (or 'Hacer clic en el link').
hurgar
/oor-GAHR//uɾˈɣaɾ/
Examples
No te hurgues la nariz en público.
Don't pick your nose in public.
Hurgué en mi mochila pero no encontré las llaves.
I rummaged through my backpack but I didn't find the keys.
El niño hurgaba la tierra con un palo.
The boy was poking at the dirt with a stick.
The Spelling Change Rule
In the 'I' past form (yo hurgué) and whenever the ending starts with an 'e', the 'g' becomes 'gu' to keep the hard sound like in 'guitar'.
Using the word 'en'
When you are searching through something, you usually need to follow the verb with 'en' (e.g., hurgar en el cajón).
Spelling the 'yo' form wrong
Mistake: “Yo hurgé.”
Correction: Yo hurgué. Without the 'u', the 'g' would sound like an 'h'!
Pinchar vs. Hurgar
Related Translations
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