Inklingo

How to Say "you ring" in Spanish

English → Spanish

tocas

/TOH-kas//ˈto.kas/

verbA2general
Use 'tocas' when referring to the action of pressing a doorbell, ringing a bell, or making a sound with an instrument.
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.

campanas

/kahm-PAH-nahs//kamˈpanas/

verbC2informal
Use 'campanas' (from campanar) in a figurative sense to mean 'you show off' or 'you make a scene' with a specific attitude.
A cartoon illustration of a young person actively pulling a thick rope connected to a large, swinging church bell.

Examples

Si tú campanas con esa actitud, nadie te va a ayudar.

If you show off with that attitude, no one is going to help you.

Me dijeron que tú campanas mejor que nadie en el campanario.

They told me that you ring the bells better than anyone in the bell tower.

Verb vs. Noun

This word 'campanas' looks exactly like the plural noun, but here it's the 'you' form of the verb 'campanar' in the present tense.

Ringing a Bell vs. Showing Off

The most common mistake is using 'campanas' when you mean the literal action of ringing a doorbell or bell. Remember, 'campanas' is usually figurative, implying boastfulness or drawing attention to yourself, while 'tocas' is for the physical act of ringing.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.