atado

Atado is the past participle of the verb atar in Spanish and Portuguese, used as an adjective meaning tied, bound, or secured. In Spanish, it describes objects that have been fastened with a knot or rope: la cuerda está atada; el paquete está atado. It can also refer to a person who is restrained by bindings or chains: el prisionero quedó atado. Figuratively, atado expresses constraint or obligation: estar atado a un compromiso, estar atado por un contrato, or “estar atado de manos y pies.”

In Portuguese, atado carries a similar meaning and is used to indicate being bound or obligated. Examples include estar atado a um acordo (to be bound by an agreement) or o cordão ficou atado (the cord was tied). In Brazilian Portuguese, amarrado is also common, but atado is widely understood and used.

Common idioms and nuances help distinguish its use: estar atado de mãos e pés emphasizes restriction, while estar atado a algo highlights a binding or connection, not only a physical tie. The term can describe both physical binding and social or legal obligations, depending on context.

Etymology traces the word to the verb atar, shared by Spanish and Portuguese and derived from Romance-language roots for tying or fastening. Related terms include amarrado (often more physical), preso (imprisoned or fixed), and ligado (connected or tied in a broader sense).