HOW TO USE THE EXPRESSION “MI TOCCA…”

Have you ever heard or read the Italian sentence mi tocca …and felt confused about it? That’s normal! The verb toccare is used with different meanings in Italian.

Toccare generally means to touch in English with the meaning of coming physically into contact with something or someone. This meaning occurs when the verb is transitive. 

For example, when the mum says to her kid:  

•  non toccare il gatto! – don’t touch the cat! 

The verb toccare is transitive because it comes with a direct object (the cat in the above example)

However, toccare often appears as an intransitive verb too (meaning that it has no object) and so takes different meanings. 

I want to describe today when toccare appears in the sentence mi tocca + infinitive verb.

• mi tocca fare….

Mi tocca [infinite verb]  means something like I have to do something or it’s time to do something and underlines that external circumstances somehow force the person who is carrying out the action to do it. 

• mi tocca studiare oggi – I am forced to study (due to external circumstances, e.g., an upcoming exam…)
• mi tocca pulire la casa oggi – I am forced to clean the house today (due to external events, e.g., my parents are visiting me.