Tocar madera
To touch wood.
to touch wood; **to touch wood** (British English); **to knock on wood** (American English)
Tocar madera means to touch wood (British English) or to knock on wood (American English).
De momento todo va bien, ¡toco madera!
Everything's going well so far—touch wood!
Nunca he tenido un accidente, toca madera.
I've never had an accident—knock on wood.
Espero seguir con buena salud, tocando madera.
I hope I stay healthy—touch wood.
Toco madera para que todo salga bien.
I'm touching wood in the hope that everything goes well.
People say it after expressing a hope, a piece of good news or something that has gone well, in the belief that the gesture will help prevent bad luck.
- talking about good health
- mentioning good luck
- hoping that something positive will continue
- avoiding tempting fate
- expressing cautious optimism
It reads as plain common sense, drawn straight from everyday experience.
It reads as plain common sense, drawn straight from everyday experience.
One theory links the custom to ancient pagan beliefs that spirits lived inside trees and could offer protection.
Another associates it with the wood of the Christian Cross.
Whatever its historical source, the superstition spread throughout Europe, giving rise to similar expressions in many languages.
Many Spaniards actually perform the gesture while saying:
¡Toco madera!
If no wood is available, people often jokingly tap their own head or look around for something wooden.
The expression is normally playful rather than deeply superstitious.
Many European languages share almost the same superstition:
- Spanish: tocar madera
- British English: touch wood
- American English: knock on wood
- French: toucher du bois
- Italian: toccare ferro ("to touch iron") is more common, although toccare legno is also used.
Among them, Spanish and British English are almost identical in both wording and meaning.
This idiom has direct English equivalents.
Use:
- touch wood in British English.
- knock on wood in American English.
Both expressions are used in exactly the same situations as the Spanish idiom.
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