robar
“robar” means “to steal” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to steal, to rob
Also: to burgle
📝 In Action
Alguien robó mi bicicleta del garaje anoche.
A2Someone stole my bike from the garage last night.
La policía atrapó al hombre que intentaba robar el banco.
B1The police caught the man who was trying to rob the bank.
No puedes robar ideas de otros escritores.
B1You can't steal ideas from other writers.
to capture, to steal
Also: to charm, to hurry
📝 In Action
Ella se robó el show con su actuación.
B2She stole the show with her performance.
El corredor intentó robar la segunda base.
B1The runner tried to steal second base.
Antes de irse, él me robó un beso rápido.
C1Before leaving, he quickly stole a kiss from me.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: robar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'robar' in its core, criminal meaning?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Traced back through Old Spanish to the Germanic verb *raubōn, meaning 'to seize' or 'to plunder.' This is the same root that gives English the word 'rob.'
First recorded: Medieval Spanish (circa 13th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you distinguish between 'robar' (to rob) and 'atracar' (to hold up)?
'Robar' is the general term for theft, whether by force or stealth. 'Atracar' specifically means 'to hold up' or 'to mug,' usually implying violence or the threat of it, especially to rob a place like a bank.
Does 'robar' always refer to physical items?
No. While the primary meaning is physical theft, you can also 'robar' intangible things like time ('robar tiempo'), ideas ('robar ideas'), or attention ('robar la atención').