Spanish vocabulary · Intermediate
How to Say Stuck in Spanish: Atascado
Atascado · adjective · ah-tahs-KAH-doh
Stuck in Spanish is atascado (jammed), pegado (adhered), or atorado (lodged), depending on how something is stuck.
Atascado is ah-tahs-KAH-doh, four syllables with stress on KAH.
El carro está atascado en el lodo y no puede avanzar.
The car is stuck in the mud and can't move forward.
Stuck in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for stuck, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| atascado | stuck | ah-tahs-KAH-doh | Default, widely understood |
| pegado | stuck | stuck by adhesion | |
| atorado | stuck | Mexico, meaning jammed or lodged |
How Native Speakers Use Atascado
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Traffic jam
Estamos atascados en el tráfico desde hace una hora.
We've been stuck in traffic for an hour.
Commuting frustration.
Object adhered
El chicle está pegado debajo de la mesa.
The gum is stuck under the table.
Something stuck by adhesion.
Figurative blockage
Me siento atascado en mi carrera y no sé qué hacer.
I feel stuck in my career and don't know what to do.
Feeling unable to progress.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Atascado
Using only one translation for all contexts
Incorrect: La calcomanía está atascada en la ventana.
Correct: La calcomanía está pegada en la ventana.
For things stuck by adhesive, use pegado; atascado implies being jammed or blocked, not glued.
Gender agreement
Incorrect: La puerta está atascado.
Correct: La puerta está atascada.
Atascado must change to atascada to agree with the feminine noun puerta.
Lock in Stuck Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Atascado used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using atascado in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear El carro está atascado en el lodo y no puede avanzar. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Stuck in Spanish
- How do you say stuck in Spanish?
- The translation depends on the type of stuckness: atascado for being jammed or blocked, pegado for being stuck by adhesion, and atorado (Mexico) for being physically lodged.
- How do you say stuck in traffic in Spanish?
- The common expression is atascado en el tráfico or stuck in a traffic jam is atrapado en un embotellamiento/atasco.
- How do you say I'm stuck as in unable to solve something?
- The figurative expression estoy atascado or estoy estancado conveys being unable to make progress on a problem or in a situation.