Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| te tengo | /te tenɡo/ (from spelling rules) |
| te atrapé | /te atɾape/ (from spelling rules) |
| te agarré | /te aɡare/ (from spelling rules) |
The phrase is used to express having caught or grasped someone or something. In a computing context, the noun pillada or trabocheto refers to a counter-intuitive feature, while pega is used to mean a trick.
Which one should you use?
The choice of phrase depends on the nuance of the action. Use te tengo to mean 'I have you', such as when someone is in your grasp or possession. Use te atrapé when you have successfully trapped or caught someone, like in a game of tag or a literal trap. Use te agarré to express the physical act of grabbing or catching someone, which is often used in a playful or sudden context.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form te atrapé uses the preterite tense to indicate a completed action in the past, equivalent to 'I caught you'.
How do you pronounce it?
/te tenɡo/
Did you know?
- The English 'gotcha' is often used to mean 'I understand', but if you use a literal translation like te tengo in Spanish to mean 'I understand', people will be very confused.
- If you are playing a game of tag in Mexico, you might shout las traes instead of using a literal translation of 'I caught you'.
- Spanish has several regional variations for 'gotcha' that avoid these verbs entirely, such as using ¡Toma! to express a 'gotcha' when playing a prank.
Examples in context
- ¡Te tengo!I got you!
- No te escapes, te tengo.Don't escape, I've got you.
Example conversation
Alejandro catches Lucía while they are playing tag in the park.
- Alejandro¡Te tengo, Lucía!I got you, Lucía!
- Lucía¡No puede ser!No way!
- AlejandroEres muy rápida, pero te tengo.You are very fast, but I got you.
- Lucía¡Vale, me rindo!Okay, I surrender!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gotcha” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
