"Press a button"

[Manuel]

What is the most common way to say "press a button"? My dictionary gives "apretar, oprimir, presionar, pulsar" for the word "to press"!

Also, do you use the same word in Spanish for pressing a "key"? As in a key on the computer keyboard, for example.

By the way, I think "apretar" means more something like "to squeeze", no?

[poli]

You are right that apretar means squeeze.

Presionar and oprimir are most often used for press as in press a button on a phone at least in Spanish used in the USA. We also use marcar when making a call, but not in pushing a button like a doorbell or a blender.

[Manuel]

Thanks poli! So are "oprimir" and "presionar" completely interchangeable then? There's no difference between them?

[poli]

Oprimir also means to oppress but presionar, as far as I know, exclusivelymeans to apply pressure, press or push as in a button. I guess a good definition of oprimir is to press down, because to press down can mean oppress. (ex: under dictatorships some people are so pressed down / oppressed that they don't even know it.)

[Julvenzor]

In Spain we use "pulsar" more than "presionar". Our word for "key" is "tecla".

A pleasure.

[Manuel]

Thank you Julvenzor,

So when do you use "presionar" and "oprimir" in Spain?

Pulsar is used normally then when referring to pressing keys on a computer keyboard?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

In Mexico you can use any of these verbs for "botón", "tecla", "número":
- apretar (daily speech)
- marcar (telephone keypad)
- presionar/oprimir (more formal)
- picar (very colloquial)


- Bienvenido, para recibir instrucciones en inglés presione/oprima la tecla "gato" (#).
- Aprieta el botón PA para que se quede abierta la puerta del elevador.
- Para hablar con un ejecutivo, marque el 2.
- Pícale al timbre para que nos abran la puerta.



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[Julvenzor]

Originally Posted by Manuel

Thank you Julvenzor,

So when do you use "presionar" and "oprimir" in Spain?

Pulsar is used normally then when referring to pressing keys on a computer keyboard?

As you can see, there are many differences between countries. In Spain, we use "pulsar" for keyboards and buttons; "presionar" is also possible; but usually it's utilized meaning "to stress". "Oprimir" is hardly used and it means around here what Poly explained in her previous post.

In addition, we understand "picar" as those that mosquitoes do to us or the act of nailing.

[poli]

¿Se puede usar tocar? Me parece que si, pero ¿en cuales circunstacias?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Cuando sólo pasas el dedo por encima, sin intención de que el teclado registre el contacto.

Puedo tocar un número del teléfono sin marcarlo.

[Manuel]

Thank you all!

This has been helpful.

In Spain, we say "apretar el button" to say "to press a button" . You can say "presionar" but that is not really common. Definitely we don't use "oprimir" for that.
The keyboard keys are "teclas"; so to "press a key" we say "pulsar una tecla".

For a button we usually say "apretar"; for a key we usually say "pulsar". I wouldn't say "oprimir" for any of them.

Hope this is helpful