confiscar
“confiscar” means “to confiscate” in Spanish (taking something away by authority).
to confiscate
Also: to seize, to impound
📝 In Action
El profesor tuvo que confiscar el teléfono del alumno.
A2The teacher had to confiscate the student's phone.
La policía confiscó los bienes del sospechoso.
B1The police seized the suspect's assets.
Si no tienes los permisos, la aduana puede confiscar la mercancía.
B2If you don't have the permits, customs can confiscate the merchandise.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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Quick Quiz: confiscar
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'I confiscated' in Spanish?
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👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From Latin 'confiscare', which comes from 'com-' (together) and 'fiscus' (a basket or public treasury). Literally, to put money into the public basket.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'confiscar' only for the police?
No, it's widely used in schools (teachers taking toys/phones) or by parents with children.
What's the difference between 'confiscar' and 'quitar'?
'Quitar' just means 'to take away' or 'to remove.' 'Confiscar' implies that someone in charge is taking it for a specific reason or as a penalty.
Is 'confiscar' a regular verb?
Almost! It is regular in its endings, but it has a spelling change (c to qu) in the past 'yo' form and all present subjunctive forms to preserve the sound.