Level B1 (Intermediate)
Today’s French Word of the Day is “capter,” a versatile verb that means both “to understand” (informally) and “to capture” or “to pick up” (a signal).
Meaning
Pronunciation with IPA
Example sentences
Present tense conjugation
Meaning
“Capter” is a French verb meaning “to understand,” “to grasp,” “to get” (informally, as a synonym for “comprendre”), and also “to capture,” “to pick up” (e.g., a signal), or “to get” (attention).
Pronunciation
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
Words related to capter
- Comprendre – to understand (conjugation chart)
- Saisir to grasp, to seize, to understand quickly)
- Piger to get, to understand – slang)
- Percevoir to perceive, to apprehend)
Reference
