arréstame
/arestame/from spelling rules
The English phrase "arrest me" is translated into Spanish as arréstame.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the imperative verb arrestar (to arrest) and the enclitic pronoun me (me).
How does it change in a sentence?
The accent mark on the 'e' in arréstame is required in the imperative form to maintain the stress on the third-to-last syllable when the pronoun is attached. For the formal usted form, the pronoun me is attached to the formal imperative arrésteme.
How do you pronounce it?
/arestame/
Did you know?
- The verb arrestar shares a root with the English word 'arrest', but in Spanish it can specifically imply a 'seizure' of assets or property in certain legal contexts, not just a person.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, police officers use the verb detener rather than arrestar to describe a person being taken into custody. While arrestar is understood, it can sound more like a formal legal or literary term than everyday police procedure.
- The Spanish language has a specific word for the 'arrest' of a heart, paro cardiaco, where the idea of 'stopping' uses a different root than the police action arrestar.
Examples in context
- Por favor, deténganmePlease, arrest me.
- ¡Arréstame ahora mismo!Arrest me right now!
- Si soy culpable, arréstame.If I am guilty, arrest me.
Example conversation
Two actors are rehearsing a crime drama scene.
- SofíaYa no puedo huir más.I can't run anymore.
- MateoEstás bajo arresto, Sofía.You are under arrest, Sofía.
- SofíaEstá bien, Mateo, arréstame.All right, Mateo, arrest me.
- MateoCorte. ¡Buena escena!Cut. Great scene!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
