How to Say "to seize" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to seize” is “agarrar” — use 'agarrar' when you mean to physically grasp or grab something quickly and often with some force..
agarrar
ah-gah-RRAHR/aɣaˈraɾ/
Examples
Agarré el paraguas antes de salir porque estaba lloviendo.
I grabbed the umbrella before leaving because it was raining.
Por favor, agarra mi mano, el suelo está resbaladizo.
Please, hold my hand, the floor is slippery.
Direct Action Verb
This verb is transitive, meaning the action always directly affects an object (what you grab or hold). Think: 'I grab [the thing].'
capturar
/kap-too-RAR//kap.tuˈɾaɾ/
Examples
La policía logró capturar al ladrón después de una persecución.
The police managed to capture the thief after a chase.
El equipo de científicos fue a la selva para capturar ranas raras.
The team of scientists went to the jungle to catch rare frogs.
Direct Object Placement
Like many Spanish verbs, you can attach the direct object pronoun (lo, la, los, las) directly to the end of 'capturar' when it's in the infinitive: 'Quieren capturarlo' (They want to capture him).
ocupar
oh-koo-PAHR/o.kuˈpaɾ/
Examples
El ejército ocupó la capital tras la revuelta.
The army occupied the capital after the revolt.
Los manifestantes ocuparon el edificio gubernamental.
The protesters seized (occupied) the government building.
intervenir
/een-tehr-beh-neer//inteɾβeˈniɾ/
Examples
El juez ordenó intervenir los teléfonos de los sospechosos.
The judge ordered the suspects' phones to be tapped.
El gobierno decidió intervenir el banco por irregularidades.
The government decided to seize/audit the bank due to irregularities.
Physical Grab vs. Official Control
Related Translations
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