How to Say "to trap" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to trap” is “cazar” — use 'cazar' when you are actively pursuing and catching someone or something, often implying a chase or a planned capture.
cazar
kah-SAHRkaˈθaɾ
Examples
La policía logró cazar al ladrón después de tres días.
The police managed to catch the thief after three days.
No pude cazar la señal de radio en esta montaña.
I couldn't catch (pick up) the radio signal on this mountain.
¡Te cacé mirando mi teléfono!
I caught you looking at my phone!
Cazar vs. Atrapar
While both mean 'to catch,' 'cazar' often implies a process of pursuit or detection (like hunting), whereas 'atrapar' usually means physically grabbing or confining something.
acorralar
ah-koh-rrah-LAHRakoɾaˈlaɾ
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.
Cazar vs. Acorralar
Related Translations
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