acatar
“acatar” means “to obey” in Spanish (rules or authority).
to obey
Also: to comply with, to accept
📝 In Action
Debemos acatar las reglas del juego.
A2We must obey the rules of the game.
El tenista decidió acatar la decisión del árbitro.
B2The tennis player decided to accept the referee's decision.
Es obligatorio acatar las nuevas medidas de seguridad.
C1It is mandatory to comply with the new security measures.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: acatar
Question 1 of 3
Which is the correct way to say 'I comply with the law'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'ad' (to) and 'captare' (to try to catch or observe). It originally meant to look at something with great respect or attention.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'acatar' and 'obedecer'?
'Obedecer' is general and used for people (parents, bosses). 'Acatar' is more formal and usually refers to respecting a rule, law, or a specific judicial order.
Is 'acatar' a regular verb?
Yes! It follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar, making it very easy to conjugate.
Can I use 'acatar' to mean 'to accept'?
Yes, but specifically in the sense of accepting a decision you might not like because it comes from an authority, like a referee's call or a judge's sentence.