How to Say "to corner" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to corner” is “acorralar” — B1 level.
Examples
La policía logró acorralar al sospechoso en un callejón.
The police managed to corner the suspect in an alley.
Los perros acorralaron a la oveja contra la valla.
The dogs trapped the sheep against the fence.
El incendio nos acorraló en la parte alta del edificio.
The fire hemmed us in at the top of the building.
The Personal 'A'
Since this verb involves doing something to a person or animal, you must use the 'a' after the verb: 'Acorralaron a Juan' (They cornered Juan).
A Logical Prefix
The 'a-' at the beginning of the word often indicates the start of an action or moving toward a state—in this case, moving someone toward a 'corral' (enclosure).
Confusing with 'Arrinconar'
Mistake: “Using 'acorralar' only for physical corners.”
Correction: While similar, 'arrinconar' specifically refers to a corner (rincón), while 'acorralar' implies a wider sense of surrounding or trapping.
Other Meanings of “acorralar”
“acorralar” can also mean:
- in an argument or psychological situation(B2)
Related Translations
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