Inklingo

How to Say "it stole" in Spanish

The Spanish word forit stoleis robóB1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishB1

robó

VerbB1
referring to an animal or non-human agent (less common)
A cartoon illustration of a man running swiftly, looking over his shoulder nervously, clutching a small red velvet bag under his arm, indicating he has stolen something.

Examples

El delincuente robó la bicicleta esta mañana.

The criminal stole the bicycle this morning.

Mi hermana me contó que un desconocido le robó el bolso en el metro.

My sister told me that a stranger robbed her purse on the subway.

¿Usted robó estas joyas? Necesito saber la verdad.

Did you steal these jewels? I need to know the truth.

Preterite Tense Use

This form ('robó') tells you about a single, completed action in the past. It started and finished at a specific moment.

Confusing Preterite and Imperfect

Mistake:Using 'robaba' (imperfect) instead of 'robó' (preterite) for a finished crime.

Correction: 'Robó' emphasizes the crime happened and ended; 'robaba' would mean the person was continuously or habitually robbing.

Related Translations

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