TOCAR MEANING
The Spanish verb tocar has multiple meanings. We generally use the verb tocar meaning ‘to touch,’ but it has a number of other meanings as well. Tocar is a very versatile verb with a variety of uses. Here are a some examples to illustrate some of the most common ways that tocar is used in Spanish.
tocar = to get, have or experience

Ayer nos tocó un poco de lluvia.
Yesterday we got some rain.
For many students, this is one of the more challenging translations of tocar. It’s a very common use of the verb and can be tricky to understand. We have an extended audio lesson on the verb tocar in the Border Crossing episode in season 2 of our podcast episodes.
Tocar = To get, have or experience

Me tocó un poco de trafico de camino para acá.
I hit a bit of traffic on the way here.
This is another example of how tocar can mean “get,” as in “to get stuck in traffic.” In contexts like this tocar can express the action of having to experience something without having much choice in the matter, like bad weather, traffic, etc.
If you want more lessons with the verb tocar, check out our Crossing the Border podcast where Paulina talked to us at length about how people use the verb in Mexico, and gave us more examples of how to use it in everyday conversations.
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