cachear
/kat͡ʃeˈaɾ/
The English phrase 'pat down' is translated into Spanish as cachear.
cachear means to frisk. The verb cachear is transitive and typically requires a direct object, often used with the preposition 'a' when the object is a person, such as in cachear a alguien.
Meaning: to frisk (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of cachear is cacheado, which can be used as an adjective or to form perfect tenses.
How do you pronounce it?
/katʃeˈaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word cachear comes from the Galician language rather than directly from Latin or Castilian Spanish.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, cachear is used specifically for police searches, while palpar is used for a more general or medical 'feel'.
- The suffix '-ear' in cachear is a very common way in Spanish to turn a noun into a verb that describes an action performed with or involving that noun.
Examples in context
- El personal de seguridad realizó un cacheo de seguridad exhaustivo antes del concierto.The security personnel conducted a thorough pat down before the concert.
- El oficial procedió a cachear al sospechoso.The officer proceeded to frisk the suspect.
- El guardia debe cachear a los pasajeros.The guard must frisk the passengers.
- ¿Me puede cachear antes de entrar?Can you frisk me before entering?
- Cachearon al sospechoso en la entrada.They frisked the suspect at the entrance.
Example conversation
At a security checkpoint in a concert venue.
- LucíaHola, necesito cachear a todos hoy.Hello, I need to frisk everyone today.
- AlejandroEstá bien, no tengo nada prohibido.That's fine, I don't have anything prohibited.
- LucíaGracias por su cooperación.Thank you for your cooperation.
- AlejandroDe nada, que tenga buen día.You're welcome, have a good day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pat down” translations and entries cachear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cachear, CC BY-SA 4.0.
