te atraparé
/te atɾapaɾe/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I will catch you" is translated into Spanish as te atraparé.
This phrase is used when someone intends to capture or seize a person who is running away.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the direct object pronoun te (you) and the first-person singular future indicative of atrapar (to catch/trap).
Which one should you use?
While te atraparé implies a physical capture or entrapment, the phrase te alcanzaré would mean "I will catch up to you" in terms of speed or distance.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can modify the phrase by changing the direct object pronoun to target different people. To say "I will catch him", replace te with lo to get lo atraparé. To say "I will catch her", replace te with la to get la atraparé. To say "I will catch you all" in a plural sense, the form depends on the region: in Spain, use os atraparé, while in Latin America, use los atraparé.
How do you pronounce it?
/te atɾapaɾe/
Did you know?
- In children's games of tag, Spanish speakers often shout ¡Tú la llevas! ('You have it!') rather than focusing on the act of catching, treating the 'it' as a physical object being passed.
- While atrapar means 'to catch', it shares a root with the word trampa, which means 'trap'. This emphasizes the idea of seizing someone who is cornered or ensnared.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a playful chase is called el pilla-pilla, derived from the verb pillar, which is a colloquial synonym for atrapar.
Examples in context
- ¡Corre, que te atraparé!Run, or I'll catch you!
- No podrás esconderte, te atraparé.You won't be able to hide, I will catch you.
- ¡Corre todo lo que quieras, te atraparé!Run as much as you want, I will catch you!
- Te atraparé antes de que llegues a la esquina.I will catch you before you reach the corner.
Example conversation
Two friends are playing a game of tag in a park.
- Javier¡No corras tan rápido, te atraparé!Don't run so fast, I will catch you!
- María¡Eso ya lo veremos, Javier!We'll see about that, Javier!
- Javier¡Te atraparé en cualquier momento!I will catch you at any moment!
- María¡Imposible, soy demasiado rápida!Impossible, I am too fast!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
