Inklingo
Dictionary

atraparlo

ah-trah-PAR-lohatɾaˈpaɾlo

“atraparlo” means “to catch him/it” in Spanish (physical action of grabbing something in motion).

to catch him/itAlso: to trap him/it, to snag it

VerbA2regular ar
General
A person's hands reaching out to catch a red ball flying through the air.
gerundatrapándolo (catching it/him)
past Participleatrapado (caught)
infinitiveatraparlo

📝 In Action

El perro vio el juguete y corrió para atraparlo.

A1

The dog saw the toy and ran to catch it.

Si el ladrón escapa, la policía intentará atraparlo.

A2

If the thief escapes, the police will try to catch him.

Lanzó la pelota muy alto, pero logré atraparlo.

B1

He threw the ball very high, but I managed to catch it.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • cogerlo (to take/grab it)
  • capturarlo (to capture it/him)

Antonyms

  • soltarlo (to release/let it go)
  • perderlo (to lose it)

Common Collocations

  • intentar atraparlo – to try to catch him/it
  • correr para atraparlo – to run to catch him/it

Idioms & Expressions

  • atraparlo con las manos en la masa – To catch someone red-handed

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yolo atrapara
túlo atraparas
él/ella/ustedlo atrapara
nosotroslo atrapáramos
vosotroslo atraparais
ellos/ellas/ustedeslo atraparan

Present Subjunctive

yolo atrape
túlo atrapes
él/ella/ustedlo atrape
nosotroslo atrapemos
vosotroslo atrapéis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslo atrapen

Indicative

Preterite

yolo atrapé
túlo atrapaste
él/ella/ustedlo atrapó
nosotroslo atrapamos
vosotroslo atrapasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslo atraparon

Imperfect

yolo atrapaba
túlo atrapabas
él/ella/ustedlo atrapaba
nosotroslo atrapábamos
vosotroslo atrapabais
ellos/ellas/ustedeslo atrapaban

Present

yolo atrapo
túlo atrapas
él/ella/ustedlo atrapa
nosotroslo atrapamos
vosotroslo atrapáis
ellos/ellas/ustedeslo atrapan
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: atraparlo

Question 1 of 2

What does the 'lo' in 'atraparlo' refer to?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
atrapado(caught/trapped) — Adjective
atrapa(catch/trap) — Noun
trampa(trap) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes
darlomirarlo
📚 Etymology

From the Spanish word 'trapo' (rag/cloth), referring to the historical use of cloths or nets to snag or catch something.

First recorded: 16th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: atrapalhar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'atraparlo' mean 'to understand'?

While 'atrapar' usually means physical catching, it can occasionally mean 'to grasp' an idea, though 'entender' or 'captar' are much more common for that context.

When should I use 'atraparla' instead?

Use 'atraparla' if the thing you are catching is a feminine noun, like 'la mariposa' (the butterfly) or 'la idea' (the idea).