How to Say "stealing" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “stealing” is “robando” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El hombre fue detenido mientras estaba robando en la tienda.
The man was arrested while he was stealing in the store.
¿Qué estás robando de la cocina? ¡Es mi galleta!
What are you stealing from the kitchen? It's my cookie!
Siento que el trabajo está robando todo mi tiempo libre.
I feel like work is stealing all my free time.
Forming the Continuous Action
You use 'robando' (the gerund) with a form of the verb 'estar' (to be) to show that the action is happening right now or was happening continuously in the past: 'Estamos robando' (We are stealing).
Always Ends in -ando
Since the base verb 'robar' ends in -ar, its gerund form always ends in -ando. Verbs ending in -er or -ir use -iendo instead.
Using the Infinitive for Continuous Action
Mistake: “Estamos robar.”
Correction: Estamos robando. Remember that the -ando form is necessary to show the action is ongoing.
Confusing Gerund and Participle
Mistake: “El ladrón estaba robado.”
Correction: El ladrón estaba robando. 'Robado' means 'stolen' (describes the item or the state), while 'robando' describes the action the thief is doing.
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.