Inklingo

How to Say "to bust" in Spanish

The Spanish word forto bustis pillarB1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishB1

pillar

verbB1informal
catching someone in the act
A hand holding a cookie while someone else points at them, showing they were caught.

Examples

Me pillaron copiando en el examen.

I got caught cheating on the exam.

Te pillé, sé que te comiste el último trozo de tarta.

Caught you! I know you ate the last piece of cake.

Le pillaron en una mentira.

They caught him in a lie.

Passive Catching

When you are the one caught, we often use the form 'Me pillaron' (They caught me) or 'He sido pillado' (I have been caught), though the first is much more natural.

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.