tropezar (con)
verbCEFR B2
What does “tropezar (con)” mean in English?
to stumble upon / encounter an obstacle
to stumble upon / encounter an obstacle (tropezar con — run into a problem or difficulty)
Example sentences
El proyecto tropezó con obstáculos legales inesperados que retrasaron su puesta en marcha varios meses.
The project ran into unexpected legal obstacles that delayed its launch by several months.
Al revisar los archivos, el investigador tropezó con un documento que cambiaría el curso de la investigación.
While reviewing the archives, the researcher stumbled upon a document that would change the course of the investigation.
Nos tropezamos con Ana en el aeropuerto cuando volvíamos de Roma.
We bumped into Ana at the airport on our way back from Rome.
How to use it
Tropezar (con) means 'to stumble', 'to trip', or 'to run into an obstacle'. Literal: tropezar con una piedra (trip on a stone). Figurative at B2 — the dominant sense: tropezar con obstáculos legales (run into legal obstacles), tropezar con la oposición (run into opposition). The preposition is con. Tropezarse con alguien also means to run into someone unexpectedly (bump into them). Note the stem change: tropiezo, tropiezas (present tense -ie- in stressed syllables).
Common mistake
Tropezar con (run into/trip on/encounter) vs. toparse con (also run into — more colloquial) vs. encontrarse con (meet/come across — broader). Tropezar emphasises the unexpected and slightly unfortunate nature of the encounter — an obstacle or a surprise. The stem change tropiezo (not *tropiezo) is a common writing error.