Jugar vs Tocar
Common Mistakes in Spanish
The verbs Jugar and Tocar in Spanish frequently confuse English speakers since they can both mean To Play. However, these verbs are NOT interchangeable since they have different uses depending on the context.
When to use Jugar
A) Jugar is used when you are playing a sport or game.
- Juego fútbol todos los sábados.
- ¿Quieres jugar ajedrez conmigo?
- Esta noche voy a jugar un partido en línea.
When to use Tocar
A) Tocar is used when you are playing an instrument or style of music.
- Me gusta tocar la guitarra.
- Admiro mucho a los artistas que tocan música clásica.
- ¿Ella está tocando el piano en vivo o es una grabación?
B) Tocar also means to touch.
- El doctor no me tocó el estómago porque me dolía mucho.
- Toca esa ropa y ve si ya está seca.
- ¡No me toques!
C) Tocar also means to knock on a door or ring a bell.
- Mis hijos tocaron el timbre de la casa.
Next Activities
See the complete conjugation of the verbs Tocar and Jugar with examples in each tense.
Try our interactive game online to practice the difference between Jugar and Tocar.
We have more examples and meanings as a part of our free Spanish course here: Jugar vs. Tocar
Spanish Resource
We have the following Spanish task cards to practice the difference between Jugar and Tocar. These Spanish task cards come as a PDF and are ideal for Spanish teachers, parents or self-study.
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