atrapó
/ah-tra-POH/
caught
Atrapó: catching a moving object.
atrapó(verb)
caught
?grabbing a moving object or person
captured
?taking someone prisoner
,trapped
?getting something stuck
📝 In Action
El jugador atrapó la pelota con una mano.
A2The player caught the ball with one hand.
La policía atrapó al ladrón en el callejón.
A2The police caught the thief in the alley.
💡 Grammar Points
Talking about the past
The ending '-ó' tells you that a single action happened and finished in the past. It specifically refers to 'he,' 'she,' or 'it' doing the action.
The Importance of the Accent
The accent mark on the 'ó' is vital. Without it, 'atrapo' means 'I catch' (present). With it, 'atrapó' means 'he/she caught' (past).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up the person
Mistake: "Using 'atrapó' to mean 'I caught'."
Correction: For 'I caught', use 'atrapé'. 'Atrapó' is only for someone else (he, she, you formal).
⭐ Usage Tips
Narrative Use
Use this word when telling a story about what happened, like describing a play in a soccer match or a scene in a movie.
Atrapó: catching or hooking someone's attention.
atrapó(verb)
hooked
?grabbing someone's attention
captivated
?becoming very interested in something
,fascinated
?deep interest
📝 In Action
Ese libro me atrapó desde la primera página.
B1That book hooked me from the first page.
Su carisma atrapó a toda la audiencia.
B1His charisma captivated the whole audience.
💡 Grammar Points
Metaphorical Catching
Just like in English, words for 'catching' can describe your interest being grabbed by something interesting.
⭐ Usage Tips
Describing media
This is a great word to use when recommending a Netflix series or a thriller novel that you couldn't put down.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: atrapó
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'atrapó' to mean 'he caught the ball'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'atrapó' always mean physical catching?
No! It can also mean that a story, a song, or a person's personality totally grabbed your attention or 'hooked' you.
Can I use 'atrapó' for 'I caught a cold'?
You can, but it sounds a bit dramatic. Most Spanish speakers would use 'me resfrié' or 'cogí un resfriado' instead.