Tocar Conjugation in Spanish
tocar means "to play (an instrument), to touch" in English, and it is one of the Spanish verbs you will use again and again in everyday conversation. It is used for talking about playing an instrument, touching things, and turns in games, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of tocar in every tense and mood — present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, the four perfect tenses, both subjunctive tenses and the imperative — with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the irregular forms. Tocar is a spelling-changing (c becomes qu before e) -ar verb verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: Yo toco la guitarra cada día. — "I play the guitar every day.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: tocar
- English: to play (an instrument), to touch
- Verb type: Spelling-changing (c becomes qu before e) -ar verb
- Gerund: tocando
- Past participle: tocado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + tocado)
Full conjugation table
Every tense of tocar with all six persons. The gerund is tocando and the past participle is tocado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | toco |
| tú | tocas |
| él/ella/Ud. | toca |
| nosotros/as | tocamos |
| vosotros/as | tocáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tocan |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | toqué |
| tú | tocaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | tocó |
| nosotros/as | tocamos |
| vosotros/as | tocasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tocaron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tocaba |
| tú | tocabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | tocaba |
| nosotros/as | tocábamos |
| vosotros/as | tocabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tocaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tocaré |
| tú | tocarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | tocará |
| nosotros/as | tocaremos |
| vosotros/as | tocaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tocarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tocaría |
| tú | tocarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | tocaría |
| nosotros/as | tocaríamos |
| vosotros/as | tocaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tocarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he tocado |
| tú | has tocado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha tocado |
| nosotros/as | hemos tocado |
| vosotros/as | habéis tocado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han tocado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había tocado |
| tú | habías tocado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había tocado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos tocado |
| vosotros/as | habíais tocado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían tocado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré tocado |
| tú | habrás tocado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá tocado |
| nosotros/as | habremos tocado |
| vosotros/as | habréis tocado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán tocado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría tocado |
| tú | habrías tocado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría tocado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos tocado |
| vosotros/as | habríais tocado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían tocado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | toque |
| tú | toques |
| él/ella/Ud. | toque |
| nosotros/as | toquemos |
| vosotros/as | toquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | toquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tocara |
| tú | tocaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | tocara |
| nosotros/as | tocáramos |
| vosotros/as | tocarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tocaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | toca |
| él/ella/Ud. | toque |
| nosotros/as | toquemos |
| vosotros/as | tocad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | toquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | toques |
| él/ella/Ud. | toque |
| nosotros/as | toquemos |
| vosotros/as | toquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | toquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | tocando |
| Past participle | tocado |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with tocar, with one example sentence. The example forms are taken from the tables above.
Present indicative
The present tense talks about what happens now, habits, routines and general truths. It is the first tense every learner needs, because it covers daily life: what you do, what you like, where you live. For most verbs the present is also the base for the present subjunctive, so learning it well pays off twice.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo toco la guitarra.
Preterite (past)
The preterite talks about finished actions in the past — things that started and ended at a specific moment. Use it for events, for what happened yesterday, last year, or at a particular time. It answers the question "what happened?" and it is the tense of stories told as a sequence of events.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Ayer yo toqué la guitarra.
Imperfect (past)
The imperfect talks about the past as background: habits, repeated actions, descriptions, and things that were in progress when something else happened. Use it for "used to", for setting a scene, and for age, time and weather in the past. It answers "what was going on?" rather than "what happened?".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: En aquella época, yo tocaba la guitarra.
Future
The future tense talks about what will happen: plans, predictions and promises. In everyday speech Spanish speakers often use "ir a + infinitive" instead, but the future tense is essential for formal writing, for promises, and for guessing about the present ("¿Dónde estará?").
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Mañana yo tocaré la guitarra.
Conditional
The conditional talks about what would happen: hypothetical situations, polite requests, and advice. It pairs with the imperfect subjunctive in "if" sentences ("Si pudiera, lo haría"). It is also the polite way to ask for things and to soften opinions.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo tocaría la guitarra si pudiera.
Present perfect
The present perfect (haber + past participle) talks about the recent past and about experience: what you have done, what has just happened, what you have never tried. It connects the past to the present moment, so it often appears with "hoy", "esta semana", "ya" and "todavía no".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya he tocado la guitarra.
Pluperfect
The pluperfect (había + past participle) talks about the past before the past: what had already happened when something else happened. Use it to order two past events — the pluperfect one comes first in time. It appears constantly in stories and explanations.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya había tocado la guitarra antes.
Future perfect
The future perfect (habré + past participle) talks about something that will already be finished by a future moment: "Para mañana ya habré terminado". It is also used to guess about the past: "¿Dónde habrá ido?". It is less common in speech but regular in writing.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Para mañana yo ya habré tocado la guitarra.
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect (habría + past participle) talks about what would have happened: the past of the conditional. It appears in "if" sentences about a past that did not happen ("Si hubiera sabido, habría venido") and in polite regrets and reproaches.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo habría tocado la guitarra si hubiera podido.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is the mood of wishes, doubts, emotions and influence: what you want, hope, doubt or demand. It appears after "quiero que", "espero que", "es posible que", "ojalá" and after verbs of emotion and doubt. It never stands alone — a trigger in the main clause calls for it.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Espero que él toque la guitarra.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive is the past of the subjunctive: it follows past-tense triggers ("Quería que vinieras") and it is the tense of "if" clauses about unlikely or impossible situations ("Si tuviera dinero, viajaría"). The -ra forms shown here are the standard ones; -se forms exist too but -ra is far more common in speech.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Si él tocara la guitarra, sería perfecto.
Imperative (affirmative)
Affirmative commands tell someone to do something: "¡Ven aquí!", "¡Siéntate!". The tú and vosotros forms are the ones you will use most, and they are also the ones that break the regular pattern most often — the tú affirmative command comes from the él/ella present form, not from the infinitive.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: ¡Toca la guitarra!
Imperative (negative)
Negative commands tell someone not to do something: "¡No hables!", "¡No te vayas!". Unlike affirmative commands, negative commands always use the subjunctive forms, for every person. If you know the present subjunctive, you already know the negative imperative.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: No toques la guitarra.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with tocar, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo toco la guitarra cada día. — "I play the guitar every day."
- ¿Tú tocas la guitarra en el concierto? — "Do you play the guitar at the concert?"
- Ayer toqué la guitarra en la fiesta. — "Yesterday I played the guitar at the party."
- Ella tocaba la guitarra cuando era joven. — "She used to play the guitar when she was young."
- Mañana tocaré la guitarra en el teatro. — "Tomorrow I will play the guitar at the theatre."
- Yo tocaría la guitarra si tuviera una. — "I would play the guitar if I had one."
- Ya he tocado la guitarra hoy. — "I have already played the guitar today."
- Espero que toque la guitarra esta noche. — "I hope he plays the guitar tonight."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with tocar — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo tocé la guitarra. → Right: Yo toqué la guitarra.. The preterite yo form is toqué, with qu: the c changes to qu before e to keep the k sound. Tocé would be pronounced with an s sound and is a misspelling. Tocaste, tocó, tocamos and tocaron keep the c.
- Wrong: *Espero que tú tocas la guitarra. → Right: Espero que tú toques la guitarra.. After espero que, use the subjunctive toques, with qu: toque, toques, toque. The indicative tocas is wrong after espero que.
- Wrong: *Toco la guitarra — some learners confuse tocar with jugar; tocar is for instruments, jugar is for games and sports. → Right: Yo toco la guitarra.. Tocar means to play an instrument (tocar la guitarra, tocar el piano) or to touch. Jugar means to play a game or sport (jugar al fútbol). Never say jugar la guitarra.
- Wrong: *Yo he tocado la guitarra — learners sometimes write he toco instead of the participle. → Right: Yo he tocado la guitarra.. The perfect tenses use the participle tocado after haber: he tocado, not he toco.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on tocar. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of tocar in the present indicative?
- a) toca
- b) tocamos
- c) toco
- d) tocas
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of tocar in the preterite (past)?
- a) tocamos
- b) tocó
- c) toqué
- d) tocaste
What is the nosotros/as form of tocar in the imperfect (past)?
- a) tocaba
- b) tocábamos
- c) tocaba
- d) tocabas
What is the tú form of tocar in the future?
- a) tocaré
- b) tocarás
- c) tocará
- d) tocaremos
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of tocar in the conditional?
- a) tocarían
- b) tocarías
- c) tocaría
- d) tocaría
What is the yo form of tocar in the present subjunctive?
- a) toquemos
- b) toque
- c) toque
- d) toques
What is the gerund of tocar?
- a) tocando
- b) tocar
- c) tocado
- d) toca
What is the past participle of tocar?
- a) tocado
- b) he tocado
- c) tocando
- d) toco
What does tocar mean in English?
- a) to be born
- b) to shout
- c) to spend (money)
- d) to play (an instrument), to touch
The form toqué belongs to which tense?
- a) Imperfect
- b) Future
- c) Present
- d) Preterite
Answer key
- toco — The yo form in the present indicative is toco — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- tocó — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is tocó — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- tocábamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is tocábamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- tocarás — The tú form in the future is tocarás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- tocarían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is tocarían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- toque — The yo form in the present subjunctive is toque — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- tocando — The gerund is tocando — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy tocando). The past participle is tocado.
- tocado — The past participle is tocado — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he tocado).
- to play (an instrument), to touch — tocar means "to play (an instrument), to touch".
- Preterite — toqué is the yo form of the preterite of tocar — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is tocaba.
Frequently asked questions
Is tocar regular?
Almost. Tocar is a spelling-changing verb: the c becomes qu before e, in the preterite yo form (toqué) and in the whole present subjunctive (toque, toques, toque). Every other form is regular: toco, tocas, toca, tocamos, tocáis, tocan.
Why is it toqué and not tocé?
In Spanish, c before e or i is pronounced as s (in Latin America) or th (in Spain), so the spelling changes to qu to keep the k sound of tocar: toqué. The same rule gives us busqué (buscar) and saqué (sacar).
What is the difference between tocar and jugar?
Tocar is for playing an instrument (tocar la guitarra, tocar el piano) and for touching; jugar is for playing games and sports (jugar al fútbol, jugar a las cartas). The two verbs never overlap for instruments.
How do you say "it's my turn" in Spanish?
Me toca — literally "it touches me". For example: Me toca jugar means "It's my turn to play". The verb is tocar, with the indirect object pronoun me, te, le, nos, os, les.
Related pages
- Tocar in the present tense — the present tense of tocar in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Tocar examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with tocar and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where tocar sits among the irregular verbs, grouped by pattern.
- Cantar conjugation — another verb in the same family as tocar.
- Bailar conjugation — another verb in the same family as tocar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise tocar with this tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise tocar with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.