Spanish verbs for law enforcement
A free Spanish verb conjugator for police officers, deputies and dispatchers. The verbs officers use in commands, traffic stops and statements. Tap a verb to see every tense, or type any other verb.
conjugation
to stop, to arrest
- Gerund
- Past participle
Want to use detener in real conversation? Meet a tutor in a free 15-minute intro call.
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What happens now or usually.
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Finished actions in the past.
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Habits, background and descriptions in the past.
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What will happen.
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What would happen.
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What has happened (haber + participle).
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Wishes, doubts and advice.
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Wishes and if-clauses in the past: si tuviera, if I had.
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Instructions and safety rules. Use usted with clients, patients and coworkers you don't know well, and ustedes for a group.
Verb phrases with detener
Shortcuts you can use before you know every tense: only the first verb changes, and detener stays as it is.
- Estar + gerundioI'm …ingAn action in progress. Past: estaba + gerundio.
- Ir a + infinitivoI'm going to …Plans and the near future.
- Tener que + infinitivoI have to …What you must do, like work tasks.
- Acabar de + infinitivoI just …Something that just happened.
- Soler + infinitivoI usually …Habits and routines.
25 key Spanish verbs for law enforcement
Each verb with a real example from the job and its polite (usted) command, the way you give instructions and safety rules. Tap a verb to see all its tenses, or tap a command or example to hear it.
| Verb | Example at work |
|---|---|
| detenerto stop, to arrestCommand: · No detenga | You're under arrest. |
| arrestarto arrestCommand: · No arreste | They arrested him last night. |
| pararto stopCommand: · No pare | Stop the car! |
| apagarto turn offCommand: · No apague | Turn off the engine. |
| salirto get outCommand: · No salga | Get out of the vehicle slowly. |
| ponerto putCommand: · No ponga | Put your hands on the steering wheel. |
| mostrarto showCommand: · No muestre | Show me your license, please. |
| levantarto raiseCommand: · No levante | Raise your hands. |
| voltearseto turn aroundCommand: · No se voltee | Turn around slowly. |
| arrodillarseto kneelCommand: · No se arrodille | Get on your knees. |
| moverseto moveCommand: · No se mueva | Don't move! |
| registrarto searchCommand: · No registre | I'm going to search you. Do you have any weapons? |
| esposarto handcuffCommand: · No espose | I'm going to handcuff you for your safety. |
| identificarseto identify yourselfCommand: · No se identifique | Identify yourself, please. |
| manejarto driveCommand: · No maneje | Who was driving? |
| tomarto drinkCommand: · No tome | Have you had anything to drink today? |
| robarto stealCommand: · No robe | What did they steal from you? |
| golpearto hitCommand: · No golpee | Who hit you? |
| huirto run awayCommand: · No huya | The suspect ran away on foot. |
| verto seeCommand: · No vea | What did you see? |
| describirto describeCommand: · No describa | Describe the person. |
| denunciarto report (a crime)Command: · No denuncie | Do you want to report the theft? |
| declararto give a statementCommand: · No declare | I need you to give a statement about what happened. |
| obedecerto obeyCommand: · No obedezca | Follow my commands. |
| calmarseto calm downCommand: · No se calme | Calm down, we're here to help. |
Go further with your team
- Spanish phrases for law enforcement: ready-to-use sentences for the job, read aloud.
- Spanish training for law enforcement teams: a self-study course and live group classes built for your work.
- Free study tools: flashcards, quizzes and a verb cheat sheet.
Verbs for other jobs
- Construction verbs
- Medical verbs
- Dental verbs
- Mental Health verbs
- Legal verbs
- Restaurant verbs
- Hotel verbs
- Call Center verbs
- Electrical verbs
- Social Services verbs
- Supervisors verbs
Or use the Spanish verb conjugator for any verb.
Get your law enforcement team speaking Spanish on the job
Verb tables are a start. Our course and live classes with bilingual tutors are built around the words your team uses every day. See how it works in a short demo.