Inklingo

How to Say "you knock" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “you knock” is “llamas” — use 'llamas' when referring to the act of calling someone's name, often in the context of asking 'What is your name?'. This is not used for physically knocking on a door..

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llamas

/YA-mas//'ʝa.mas/

verbA1general
Use 'llamas' when referring to the act of calling someone's name, often in the context of asking 'What is your name?'. This is not used for physically knocking on a door.
A cartoon person holding a simple red vintage telephone receiver to their ear, illustrating the action of calling someone.

Examples

¿Cómo te llamas?

What is your name?

Si necesitas ayuda, me llamas.

If you need help, you call me.

Tú llamas a la puerta mientras yo espero en el coche.

You knock on the door while I wait in the car.

The 'Tú' Form

The '-as' ending on verbs like 'llamas' is a big clue that someone is talking to 'tú' (one person, informally). It's one of the most common verb endings you'll see.

'Llamas' vs. 'Llama'

Mistake: “Él llamas por teléfono.”

Correction: Use 'llamas' only for 'tú' (you). For 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), or 'usted' (you, formal), the ending changes to '-a': 'Él llama'.

tocas

/TOH-kas//ˈto.kas/

verbA2general
Use 'tocas' to describe the physical action of knocking on a door or ringing a doorbell.
A person's fist raised, clearly knocking on a closed brown wooden door.

Examples

Cuando llegas, siempre tocas el timbre dos veces.

When you arrive, you always ring the doorbell twice.

Tocas la puerta antes de entrar en la oficina.

You knock on the door before entering the office.

Spelling Change Alert

Remember that the 'c' in 'tocar' changes to 'qu' before an 'e' or 'i' sound (like in the present subjunctive 'toques') to keep the hard 'k' sound. This is common for many verbs ending in -car.

Confusing 'llamas' and 'tocas'

Learners often confuse 'llamas' and 'tocas' because they can both sound like 'you call' or 'you touch'. Remember that 'llamas' is specifically for calling a name (like 'What's your name?'), while 'tocas' is for the physical act of knocking or ringing.

Related Translations

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