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pillar

to catch

verb pee-YAHR Rare

Also means

to grab

Usage Note

Pillar is highly colloquial in Spain (less used in Latin America, where agarrar or coger are preferred). It covers catching someone in the act (te pillé — I caught you), catching an illness (pillé un resfriado), and being hit by a vehicle (le pilló un coche). In formal registers, coger or atrapar are safer choices.

Examples

"La policía pilló al ladrón en el acto."

Natural Translation

The police caught the thief in the act.

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