picar

Senses

1. 1.

   to peck; to bite

   (of a bird or insect) to strike or puncture with beak or mouth parts

2. 2.

   to chop; to mince

   to cut into small pieces

3. 3.

   to sting; to itch

   to cause a pricking or burning sensation

4. 4.

   to nibble; to snack

   to eat small amounts informally

Examples

• "El mosquito me picó en el brazo."

  The mosquito bit me on the arm.

• "Necesito picar cebolla para la salsa."

  I need to chop onion for the sauce.

• "Me pica la garganta cuando hablo mucho."

  My throat itches when I talk a lot.

Usage

Picar is one of the most common verbs in Spanish with multiple overlapping senses. In cooking, picado (the past participle used as an adjective) means "chopped" or "minced." Watch the conjugation: yo pico, tú picas. Often used reflexively (picarse) to mean "to be offended" or "to be interested."