Atrapes

Atrapes is a grammatical form of the Spanish verb atrapar, which means to catch or trap. Specifically, atrapes is the second-person singular present subjunctive form. It is not used as an independent verb by itself; rather it appears in clauses that require the subjunctive, typically after verbs or expressions of wish, doubt, necessity, or emotion, often with a que clause. Examples include: “Espero que tú atrapes al ladrón” and “Es posible que atrapes el objetivo.”

In contrast, the second-person singular present indicative form is atrapas, which is used in straightforward statements like “Tú atrapas mosquitos con esa red.” Other present-subjunctive forms of atrapar include yo atrape, él atrape, nosotros atrapemos, vosotros atrapéis, and ellos atrapen. These forms share the same stem but differ by person and mood.

Usage notes:

- Atrapes appears most commonly in subordinate clauses within sentences governed by a triggering expression (desire, doubt, necessity, emotion, possibility).

- It is a standard form in Spanish grammar and is used across Spanish-speaking regions, including Spain and Latin America.

- In English-language contexts, “atrapes” is generally recognized as a Spanish word, not as an independent English term.

The term does not have a separate meaning in English; its interpretation depends on the Spanish verb atrapar and the grammatical mood and tense conveyed by the sentence.