atrapar la pelota
/atɾapaɾ la pelota/from spelling rules
To catch the ball in Spanish is atrapar la pelota.
This phrase means to stop and hold a ball that has been thrown or hit through the air.
Which one should you use?
Use atrapar la pelota when the focus is on the act of successfully intercepting and holding the ball, whereas recibir la pelota (to receive the ball) is more common in sports contexts like soccer or volleyball where the ball is passed to a player.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form Atrapa la pelota is commonly used across Latin America. In many Latin American countries, la bola is often used interchangeably with la pelota to mean 'the ball'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb atrapar is a regular -ar verb, so the third-person singular past tense is atrapó, as in atrapó la pelota (he/she caught the ball).
How do you pronounce it?
/atɾapaɾ la pelota/
Did you know?
- The word pelota is a linguistic relative of the English word 'pill' because both descend from the Latin word 'pila'.
- The verb atrapar was borrowed into Spanish from the French word attraper.
- While la pelota is the standard term, some Caribbean dialects use la bola to describe a 'ball' of confusion or a chaotic situation.
Examples in context
- Atrapa la pelota.Catch the ball.
- Mira, atrapa la pelota y no la dejes caer.Look, catch the ball and don't drop it.
- Él quiere atrapar la pelota.He wants to catch the ball.
- Debes atrapar la pelota con las manos.You must catch the ball with your hands.
- ¡Mira, intenta atrapar la pelota!Look, try to catch the ball!
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are playing in the park.
- AlejandroSofía, ¡prepárate para atrapar la pelota!Sofía, get ready to catch the ball!
- Sofía¡Estoy lista, lánzala ahora!I'm ready, throw it now!
- AlejandroAhí va, ¡atrápala!Here it goes, catch it!
- Sofía¡La tengo! La atrapé muy bien.I've got it! I caught it very well.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries atrapar, la, pelota, CC BY-SA 4.0.
