Spanish word

contraer

Pronunciation

IPA/kontɾaˈeɾ/

Meaning

  • verbcatch

Example

Él contrae la gripe cada invierno.

He catches the flu every winter.

Illustration for contraer (catch)

More examples

Para comprar la casa, tuvieron que contraer una deuda.

To buy the house, they had to incur a debt.

Core concept

A healthy person receiving a contagious illness from another person.

Common phrases

  • contraer una deuda

    incur a debt

  • contraer matrimonio

    get married

  • contraer una enfermedad

    catch an illness

Similar words

enfermar: Becomes sick or unwell, focusing on the body's physical symptoms.
contagiarse: Becomes infected through transmission from another person.

Definition in Spanish

Adquirir o sufrir algo, especialmente una enfermedad o una deuda; también reducirse en tamaño o tensión.

Word origin

From Latin contrahere (con- + trahere 'to draw'), literally 'draw together', which developed senses of taking something on (such as an illness or obligation) and of drawing in or shrinking.

Usage tips

  • Contraer una enfermedad is somewhat formal in everyday speech; in Spain speakers often say coger la gripe or pillar la gripe, while many Latin American speakers prefer contagiarse or ponerse enfermo.

Other meanings

  • contractverb
  • incurverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word