Inklingo

How to Say "to burgle" in Spanish

The Spanish word forto burgleis robarA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2
verbA2
entering a building illegally
A small figure wearing a dark mask secretly slips a single shiny gold coin into a sack, illustrating the act of theft.

Examples

Alguien robó mi bicicleta del garaje anoche.

Someone stole my bike from the garage last night.

La policía atrapó al hombre que intentaba robar el banco.

The police caught the man who was trying to rob the bank.

No puedes robar ideas de otros escritores.

You can't steal ideas from other writers.

Using 'A' after Robar

When you talk about robbing a person, you usually need to use the preposition 'a' before the person: 'Robaron a la señora' (They robbed the lady).

Robar vs. Quitar

Use 'robar' for actions that are illegal or permanent. Use 'quitar' when you remove or take something away temporarily, like 'quitar la tapa' (to take off the lid).

Confusing the Act and the Person

Mistake:Robaron la señora.

Correction: Robaron a la señora. (When the person is the victim, use 'a'.)

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