How to Say "to seize" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to seize” is “agarrar” — use 'agarrar' when you are physically taking hold of something quickly or forcefully, like grabbing an object before it falls or taking someone's hand.
agarrar
ah-gah-RRAHRaɣaˈraɾ
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-RARkap.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).
aferrar
ah-feh-RRARafeˈraɾ
Examples
El escalador aferró la roca con fuerza.
The climber grasped the rock tightly.
Aferró el volante cuando el coche empezó a patinar.
He seized the steering wheel when the car started to skid.
La niña aferraba su muñeca contra el pecho.
The girl was clutching her doll against her chest.
Aferrar vs. Agarrar
Use 'aferrar' when the action involves a lot of strength or a sense of not wanting to let go. Use 'agarrar' for simple, everyday actions like grabbing a glass of water.
Double 'r' sound
Since this word has a double 'rr', you need to roll your tongue strongly. It sounds like the purr of a cat or a small motor.
Confusing with 'afirmar'
Mistake: “Using 'afirmar' when you mean to hold something.”
Correction: 'Afirmar' means to state something is true. Use 'aferrar' for physical grabbing.
apresar
a-pre-SARa.pɾeˈsaɾ
Examples
La policía logró apresar al fugitivo después de una larga persecución.
The police managed to capture the fugitive after a long chase.
Fueron apresados por cruzar la frontera sin documentos.
They were arrested for crossing the border without documents.
El pirata fue apresado y llevado ante la justicia.
The pirate was captured and brought to justice.
La marina apresó un buque que transportaba mercancía ilegal.
The navy seized a ship carrying illegal goods.
The Personal 'A'
When you are talking about capturing a person, you must use the word 'a' before the name or noun. For example: 'Apresaron a Juan' (They captured Juan).
Regular AR Pattern
This verb follows the standard rules for verbs ending in -ar. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar', you know how to conjugate 'apresar'!
No Personal 'A' for Objects
Unlike when you capture people, do not use 'a' when you are seizing objects like ships or boxes. Just say 'apresar el barco'.
Missing the 'a'
Mistake: “La policía apresó el ladrón.”
Correction: La policía apresó al ladrón (a + el = al). Remember to use 'a' when the action happens to a specific person.
Confusing with 'apresurarse'
Mistake: “Tienes que apresarte.”
Correction: Tienes que apresurarte. 'Apresar' means to catch, while 'apresurarse' means to hurry.
confiscar
kon-fees-karkoɱfisˈkaɾ
Examples
El profesor tuvo que confiscar el teléfono del alumno.
The teacher had to confiscate the student's phone.
La policía confiscó los bienes del sospechoso.
The police seized the suspect's assets.
Si no tienes los permisos, la aduana puede confiscar la mercancía.
If you don't have the permits, customs can confiscate the merchandise.
The 'Spelling Change' Rule
For verbs ending in -car, the 'c' changes to 'qu' before an 'e'. This happens in the 'yo' form of the past tense (confisqué) and all forms of the 'wishes/commands' mood (confisque). This is done to keep the hard 'K' sound.
Direct Action
This verb acts directly on the object being taken. You don't need a preposition like 'from' before the item. You just 'confiscar [item]'.
Incorrect Spelling in Past Tense
Mistake: “Yo confiscé.”
Correction: Yo confisqué. Without the 'u', the 'c' would sound like an 's' because it is followed by an 'e'.
apoderar
ah-poh-deh-RARapoðeˈɾaɾ
Examples
El miedo se apoderó de él durante el examen.
Fear took over him during the exam.
Los manifestantes se apoderaron del edificio.
The protesters seized the building.
No dejes que el pánico se apodere de la situación.
Don't let panic take over the situation.
Using 'de'
When you use the reflexive form 'apoderarse' to say someone took over something, you must always follow it with the word 'de' (of). Think of it as 'becoming the owner OF'.
Missing the 'de'
Mistake: “Se apoderó el trono.”
Correction: Se apoderó DEL trono.
ocupar
oh-koo-PAHRo.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.
apresar
a-pre-SARa.pɾeˈsaɾ
Examples
La marina apresó un buque que transportaba mercancía ilegal.
The navy seized a ship carrying illegal goods.
La policía logró apresar al fugitivo después de una larga persecución.
The police managed to capture the fugitive after a long chase.
Fueron apresados por cruzar la frontera sin documentos.
They were arrested for crossing the border without documents.
El pirata fue apresado y llevado ante la justicia.
The pirate was captured and brought to justice.
The Personal 'A'
When you are talking about capturing a person, you must use the word 'a' before the name or noun. For example: 'Apresaron a Juan' (They captured Juan).
Regular AR Pattern
This verb follows the standard rules for verbs ending in -ar. If you know how to conjugate 'hablar', you know how to conjugate 'apresar'!
No Personal 'A' for Objects
Unlike when you capture people, do not use 'a' when you are seizing objects like ships or boxes. Just say 'apresar el barco'.
Missing the 'a'
Mistake: “La policía apresó el ladrón.”
Correction: La policía apresó al ladrón (a + el = al). Remember to use 'a' when the action happens to a specific person.
Confusing with 'apresurarse'
Mistake: “Tienes que apresarte.”
Correction: Tienes que apresurarte. 'Apresar' means to catch, while 'apresurarse' means to hurry.
intervenir
een-tehr-beh-neerinteɾβeˈniɾ
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.
secuestrar
seh-kwes-TRARsekuesˈtɾaɾ
Examples
El juez ordenó secuestrar todos los documentos de la empresa.
The judge ordered the seizure of all the company's documents.
La policía secuestró la edición de la revista por orden judicial.
The police seized the magazine edition by court order.
Legal Use
This meaning is almost always used in legal writing where the subject is a court, judge, or government authority.
Physical Grasp vs. Legal Seizure
Related Translations
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