Spanish Conversation · Level 152
30 words
Spanish word
atracar
Pronunciation
IPA/atɾaˈkaɾ/
Meaning
- verbrob
Example
Anoche, al salir del banco, me atracaron.
Last night, as I was leaving the bank, I was robbed.
More examples
El grupo empezó a atracar turistas en la plaza.
The group began to rob tourists in the square.
Core concept
Masked mugger grabbing cash from a person's pocket.
Common phrases
atracar a alguien
rob someone
atracar en la calle
rob in the street
atracar a mano armada
rob at gunpoint
Similar words
robar: Removes property belonging to someone else without their permission, by any illicit method.
asaltar: Carries out a rapid, forceful attack to grab cash or goods from people or locations.
saquear: Ransacks shops or buildings during chaos, carrying off many items at once.
Definition in Spanish
Forzar a alguien mediante intimidación o violencia para obtener dinero u objetos, y también poner un barco junto al muelle.
Word origin
From Latin ad- + trahere 'to pull', originally meaning 'to bring a ship alongside' and later extended to taking things by force, which explains both the docking and robbery senses.
Usage tips
- Often used when someone reports being a victim, with the victim expressed by an object pronoun and the agent commonly left unstated.