verb

tropezar

stumble · trip

Perder el equilibrio al chocar con algo y casi caer.

Tropezar is a Spanish verb meaning to trip, to stumble, or to strike one’s foot against something while walking.

It can also be used figuratively:

To encounter an obstacle, difficulty, or problem
- El proyecto tropezó con varios problemas. — “The project ran into several problems.”
To run into or come across someone or something unexpectedly, usually with tropezar con
- Tropezamos con un viejo amigo en la estación. — “We ran into an old friend at the station.”
To make a mistake or suffer a setback
- Todos podemos tropezar alguna vez. — “We can all make mistakes or suffer setbacks sometimes.”

Tropezar is an intransitive verb, although it commonly appears with con to identify what or whom someone trips over or encounters.

It is an irregular stem-changing verb:

The stem vowel o changes to ue in several present-tense forms. This change does not occur in the first- and second-person plural forms.

In the preterite, the first-person singular form is spelled tropecé because of the usual spelling change from z to c before e.

The word’s origin is uncertain; it is generally considered possibly expressive or onomatopoeic in origin.

tropezarse — to trip or stumble; this pronominal form is very common in everyday speech.
trastabillar — to stagger or stumble, often because of unsteady movement.
caerse — to fall; unlike tropezar, it describes the result rather than the initial stumble.
chocar — to collide or bump into something; it emphasizes impact rather than losing one’s balance.
encontrarse — to run into or encounter someone; it does not imply physically tripping.

There is no exact single antonym for all meanings of tropezar. Depending on the context, possible opposites include:

caminar con seguridad — to walk steadily or confidently.
mantener el equilibrio — to keep one’s balance.
evitar — to avoid an obstacle or problem.
avanzar — to progress without setbacks; this contrasts with the figurative sense of encountering difficulties.

tropezar con una piedra — to trip over a stone.
tropezar con un obstáculo — to encounter an obstacle.
tropezar con un problema — to run into a problem.
tropezar con alguien — to run into someone unexpectedly.
tropezar dos veces con la misma piedra — “to make the same mistake twice”; literally, “to trip over the same stone twice.”