Cruzarse

Cruzarse is a Spanish verb that appears most often in its pronominal form cruzarse. It has several related senses rooted in the idea of crossing or meeting.

The primary sense is to meet or encounter someone by chance or in passing. In this use, cruzarse is usually followed by the preposition con: cruzarse con alguien. For example, “Me crucé con Marta en el supermercado” or “Nos cruzamos en la calle” both mean that the speaker ran into the other person unexpectedly. This usage is common in Spain and Latin America and can refer to a brief moment or a longer encounter.

A second sense involves crossing or intersecting two things, such as roads, lines, or paths. In this sense the verb can be used without a direct object and often appears in phrases like “las vías se cruzan” or “las líneas se cruzaron en el plano,” indicating that they intersect.

A third sense is to exchange words or to clash verbally. The expression cruzarse de palabras means to engage in an argument or heated exchange. For example, “Se cruzaron de palabras durante la reunión” describes a verbal dispute.

Regional notes: cruzarse con alguien is widely understood across Spanish-speaking regions, though preferences for prepositions may vary. The phrase cruzarse de palabras is fixed and commonly used to denote verbal altercation.

Related terms include cruzar (to cross), cruce (crossing), and encontrarse (to meet by chance).