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acaparar

ah-kah-pah-rahr/aka.paˈɾaɾ/

“acaparar” means “to hoard” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to hoard, to monopolize

Also: to corner the market
VerbB1regular ar
A person sitting on top of a massive pile of red apples, hugging several apples tightly to their chest.
gerundacaparando
past Participleacaparado
infinitiveacaparar

📝 In Action

Durante la crisis, algunas personas intentaron acaparar suministros médicos.

B1

During the crisis, some people tried to hoard medical supplies.

Esa empresa quiere acaparar todo el mercado de la telefonía.

B2

That company wants to monopolize the entire telephony market.

No es ético acaparar tierras que no se van a cultivar.

C1

It is not ethical to hoard land that is not going to be farmed.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • amontonar (to pile up)
  • monopolizar (to monopolize)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • acaparar el mercado – to corner the market
  • acaparar recursos – to hoard resources

to hog, to monopolize

Also: to steal
VerbB2regular ar
A large fluffy cat stretched out across an entire long sofa, leaving no room for anyone else to sit.
gerundacaparando
past Participleacaparado
infinitiveacaparar

📝 In Action

Ella siempre intenta acaparar la atención en las fiestas.

B2

She always tries to hog the attention at parties.

Siento acaparar la palabra, pero tengo algo importante que decir.

C1

I'm sorry for hogging the floor, but I have something important to say.

La película acaparó todos los premios de la noche.

B2

The movie swept (hogged) all the awards that night.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • acaparar la atención – to hog the attention
  • acaparar la conversación – to dominate the conversation
  • acaparar la palabra – to hog the floor/speak too much
  • acaparar miradas – to attract everyone's gaze

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesacapararan
yoacaparara
túacapararas
vosotrosacapararais
nosotrosacaparáramos
él/ella/ustedacaparara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesacaparen
yoacapare
túacapares
vosotrosacaparéis
nosotrosacaparemos
él/ella/ustedacapare

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesacapararon
yoacaparé
túacaparaste
vosotrosacaparasteis
nosotrosacaparamos
él/ella/ustedacaparó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesacaparaban
yoacaparaba
túacaparabas
vosotrosacaparabais
nosotrosacaparábamos
él/ella/ustedacaparaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesacaparan
yoacaparo
túacaparas
vosotrosacaparáis
nosotrosacaparamos
él/ella/ustedacapara
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "acaparar" in Spanish:

to hoard→to hog→to monopolize→to steal→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: acaparar

Question 1 of 3

If someone 'acapara la conversación', what are they doing?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
acaparador(hoarder/hogger) — Noun
acaparamiento(hoarding/monopolizing) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Spanish phrase 'a capa y espada' (with cape and sword) combined with the concept of gathering everything under one's cape. It relates to the idea of pulling items toward oneself to hide or protect them.

First recorded: 18th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: accaparerPortuguese: acaparar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'acaparar' always bad?

Yes, almost always. It implies greed, selfishness, or a lack of consideration for others by taking more than one needs or deserves.

Can I use it for physical space?

Absolutely. If someone is taking up three seats on a bus with their bags, you could say they are 'acaparando los asientos'.

Is it a regular verb?

Yes! It follows the standard rules for -ar verbs in all tenses, making it easy to conjugate.