How to Say "handcuff" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “handcuff” is “esposa” — B2 level.
English → SpanishB2
NounB2
a single metal ring for securing a wrist
Examples
El policía le puso las esposas al sospechoso.
The police officer put the handcuffs on the suspect.
Logró quitarse una esposa y trató de correr.
He managed to get one handcuff off and tried to run.
Usually Plural
Even though 'esposa' is a single handcuff, you'll almost always see this word in its plural form, 'esposas', because they come in pairs.
Context is Everything
Mistake: “A sentence like 'Vi al hombre con sus esposas' could be confusing without context.”
Correction: Pay attention to the other words in the sentence. If you see words like 'policía', 'arrestar', or 'ladrón' (thief), it almost certainly means 'handcuffs', not 'wives'.
Related Translations
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