te tengo
/te tenɡo/from spelling rules
The phrase "I gotchu" can be translated into Spanish as te tengo.
te tengo is an informal expression used to tell someone that you have captured or caught them.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the expression Quedate tranquilo/a, te banco means "Stay calm, I've got your back."
How do you pronounce it?
/te tenɡo/
Did you know?
- While te tengo can mean 'I caught you' during a game, in many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying te tengo to a person can sometimes sound like an unintended romantic or even predatory way of saying 'I have you' (as in possession).
- If you are playing a prank and want to shout 'Gotcha!', a common way to do this in Spain is to yell ¡Te pillé! which uses the verb pillar to mean 'to catch' or 'to snare'.
- The pronoun te in te tengo is an accusative pronoun, which descends from the Latin 'tē', a form that has remained remarkably stable for thousands of years.
Examples in context
- Tranquilo/a, yo te cubro, no te preocupes.Don't worry, I've got your back, don't stress.
- ¡Te tengo, no te escapes!I got you, don't escape!
- Corres rápido, pero te tengo.You run fast, but I got you.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are playing a game of tag in the park.
- Lucía¡No puedes esconderte de mí!You can't hide from me!
- Alejandro¡Espera, Lucía, soy muy rápido!Wait, Lucía, I am very fast!
- Lucía¡Te tengo!I got you!
- Alejandro¡Ay, me atrapaste!Oh, you caught me!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
