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"Ladrón" is a noun which is often translated as "thief", and "caco" is a noun which is also often translated as "thief". Learn more about the difference between "ladrón" and "caco" below.
el ladrón(
lah
-
drohn
)A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
b. robber
El ladrón se escapó con un millón de dólares en efectivo.The robber got away with a million dollars in cash.
c. burglar (from a building)
Un ladrón robó la tienda de joyería del centro comercial.A burglar robbed the jewelry store in the mall.
2. (electrical)
a. adapter
Necesito un ladrón para conectar varios aparatos en la cocina.I need an adapter to connect several appliances in the kitchen.
el caco(
kah
-
koh
)A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
1. (colloquial) (robber)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. thief
La poli busca a dos cacos que robaron varios carros en el barrio.The cops are searching for two thieves who stole several cars in the neighborhood.
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
2. (slang) (hoodlum) (Puerto Rico)
A very informal word or phrase used by a particular group or community as a substitute for standard language (e.g., joint, john).
Regionalism used in Puerto Rico
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
No te metas con ese tipo. Es un caco de lo más malo que hay.Don't get involved with that guy. He's not someone you want to mess around with.
Había un grupo de cacos escuchando reguetón y acosando a cualquiera que tratara de entrar a la disco.There was a group of hoodlums listening to reggaeton and harassing anyone trying to go into the club.
