Today we’ll have a look at capter, which means to to understand, grasp, get and to capture. In the context of “to understand”, this verb is an informal synonym for comprendre. The Modern French capter comes from captare (to try to catch or seize) in Latin.
capter
to understand, grasp, get, capture
Pronunciation [kapte]
Example sentences
This first sentence uses the inversion form for asking questions. This sentence could also be formed: Est-ce que tu as capté? (Did you grasp?). Je viens de + infinitive means “I just”. This is the passé récent (recent past) tense.
As-tu capté ce que je viens de vous expliquer ?
Did you understand what I just explained to you?
Another usage of capter is “to pick up” as in getting a radio signal. The pronoun on has many meanings including “we”.
On ne capte pas le signal radio de ce village. On est trop loin.
We can’t pick up the radio signal in this village. We are too far.
For this final sentence, je n’ai pas pu (I wasn’t able, I couldn’t) is the passé composé of the verb pouvoir (can, to be able). Il n’a pas voulu (he didn’t want to) is the passé composé of vouloir (to want).
Je n’ai pas pu capter son attention. Il n’a pas voulu m’écouter.
I wasn’t able to get his attention. He didn’t want to listen to me.
Present tense conjugation
Capter is a regular ER verb. This means that it’s conjugation follows the same pattern as parler (to speak).
Je capte I grasp
Tu captes You grasp (singular, informal)
Il, elle capte He, she grasps
Nous captons We grasp
Vous captez You grasp (plural, formal)
Ils, elles captent They grasp
More useful verbs
- Comprendre – to understand (conjugation chart)
- Assister – to help, to attend
- Supprimer – to delete, remove
- Démarrer – to start (an engine)
- Aborder – to approach
- Craquer – to give in
- Remettre – to hand over, postpone
- Passer – to pass
- Décevoir – to disappoint
- Gérer – to manage
- Sentir – to feel, to smell
Reference
Word of the Day archive | Lessons by David Issokson
