Tropezar (en. Encounter)

/tɾopeθar/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishSpanish
verb
To encounter an obstacle while walking, which can cause a fall.
I stumbled on a stone and almost fell.
Tropecé con una piedra y casi me caigo.
To make a mistake or error in an action.
He stumbled in his speech and forgot what he was going to say.
Tropezó en su discurso y se olvidó lo que iba a decir.
To encounter difficulties on a path or process.
The project stumbled due to a lack of funds.
El proyecto tropezó debido a la falta de fondos.

Etymology

From Latin 'tropicare', meaning 'to stumble' or 'to take a misstep'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

to stumble upon someone
To unexpectedly encounter someone accidentally.
tropezar con alguien
to not stumble on the same stone
To not make the same mistake repeatedly.
no tropezar en la misma piedra
to stumble in life
To face difficulties or fall into problems throughout life.
tropezar en la vida

Related Words

stumble
The act of stumbling.
tropezo
stumble
The moment or situation in which one stumbles.
tropiezo

Slang Meanings

To stumble in a difficult situation.
I stumbled yesterday at the meeting when I tried to talk about that complicated topic.
Me tropecé ayer en la reunión cuando intenté hablar de ese tema complicado.
To stumble upon someone in a romantic context.
I was stumbling over my friend's feelings without realizing it.
Estaba tropezando con los sentimientos de mi amigo sin darme cuenta.