Catch in Different Languages
Discover 'Catch' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'catch' is a small but powerful part of the English language. It signifies the act of grasping or seizing something with your hand, or the ability to understand and comprehend something. But 'catch' means so much more than just that.
Culturally, 'catch' has made its way into popular phrases and idioms, such as 'catch someone in the act' or 'a catch' - meaning a good or desirable person or thing. It's also the title of numerous books, movies, and songs, showcasing its significance in our daily lives.
Moreover, the word 'catch' is a perfect example of how language can vary around the world. For instance, in Spanish, 'catch' is 'agarrar', while in French, it's 'attraper'. Understanding these translations can help us connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a traveler, or someone looking to expand their vocabulary, learning the translations of 'catch' can be a fun and enriching experience. Here are some translations of 'catch' in different languages to get you started:
Catch
Catch in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vang | ||
| "Vang" also means "field" in Afrikaans, likely derived from the Dutch word "vang" meaning "catch" or "capture." | |||
| Amharic | ያዝ | ||
| The term ያዝ can also refer to taking something, or holding something tightly. | |||
| Hausa | kama | ||
| In Hausa, 'kama' means 'to catch' or 'to grab' something, but it can also mean 'a trap' or 'a snare'. | |||
| Igbo | gbute azụ | ||
| The Igbo word "gbute azụ" literally means "hold by the tail," alluding to the technique used to catch stubborn animals. | |||
| Malagasy | trondro | ||
| The Malagasy word "trondro" is also used to describe the action of holding or grasping something. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kugwira | ||
| The word "kugwira" can also mean "to seize" or "to hold onto" in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | kubata | ||
| The word "kubata" in Shona also means "to embrace" or "to hold tightly." | |||
| Somali | qabasho | ||
| Somali has a verb "qabasho" that can mean "to catch" and "to copy" depending on the context. | |||
| Sesotho | tšoasa | ||
| The word "tšoasa" can also mean "to hold" or "to grab" in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | kukamata | ||
| In some Bantu languages, 'ku-kamata' may also imply 'to grip'. | |||
| Xhosa | ukubamba | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ukubamba' can also mean 'to hold', 'to carry', or 'to support'. | |||
| Yoruba | mu | ||
| "Mu" also refers to the sound created when two things rub or strike together. | |||
| Zulu | ukubamba | ||
| Ukubamba in Zulu also means to seize or to hold something tightly | |||
| Bambara | k'a minɛ | ||
| Ewe | lé | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gufata | ||
| Lingala | kokanga | ||
| Luganda | okukwaata | ||
| Sepedi | swara | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kyere | ||
Catch in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قبض على | ||
| The word "قبض على" (catch) in Arabic can also mean "to take hold of" or "to seize". | |||
| Hebrew | לתפוס | ||
| The Hebrew word לתפוס (catch) is derived from the root ת.פ.ש (to seize, grasp, or hold) and can also mean "to understand" or "to solve a problem." | |||
| Pashto | نیول | ||
| The Pashto word "نیول" also means "trap" or "snare". | |||
| Arabic | قبض على | ||
| The word "قبض على" (catch) in Arabic can also mean "to take hold of" or "to seize". | |||
Catch in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kap | ||
| "Kap" derives from Latin "capire" which means, "to grasp with the understanding" and "capio" meaning "to grasp physically." | |||
| Basque | harrapatu | ||
| The word “harrapatu” is etymologically related to the verb to 'take'. It can mean “to catch”, or alternatively, “to snatch”, “to seize”, or “to capture”. | |||
| Catalan | atrapar | ||
| From Old Catalan *atrapar*, from Latin attrepāre, itself from ad (to) and trepāre (to seize) | |||
| Croatian | ulov | ||
| In Croatian, "ulov" also denotes a fishing ground, an opening in a mill, and a notch in an axe handle. | |||
| Danish | fangst | ||
| Fangst (catch) can also refer to hunting or fishing, while its verb form 'fange' (to catch) can mean 'to capture' or 'to seize'. | |||
| Dutch | vangst | ||
| "Vangst" derives from the Proto-Germanic word "*fang", associated also with "fist" and "to grasp". | |||
| English | catch | ||
| "Catch" originates from the Middle English term "cacchen," derived from the Old French "cachier" and the Latin "capere," both meaning "to seize". | |||
| French | capture | ||
| "Capture" comes from the Latin word "capere," which means "to seize, take, or hold." | |||
| Frisian | fange | ||
| The Frisian word "fange" (catch) also has the alternate meanings of "grab", "seize", and "capture". | |||
| Galician | coller | ||
| The word "coller" in Galician also means "to stick", "to adhere", or "to get stuck." | |||
| German | fang | ||
| In German, "Fang" can also refer to a tooth or a claw, hinting at its shared origin with the verb "fassen" (to grasp). | |||
| Icelandic | grípa | ||
| The word “grípa” can also mean “grip”, “handle” or “seize”. | |||
| Irish | ghabháil | ||
| The word "ghabháil" can also refer to a place where something is caught, such as a fishing net or a trap. | |||
| Italian | catturare | ||
| The Italian word "catturare" originally meant "to hunt" and is related to the Latin word "capere," meaning "to take." | |||
| Luxembourgish | fänken | ||
| In the context of fishing, "fänken" can also mean "to fish" or "to trap". | |||
| Maltese | qabda | ||
| Although "qabda" in Maltese is often defined as "catch", it can also mean "a portion" or "a measure". | |||
| Norwegian | å fange | ||
| "Å fange" can also be used to refer to someone or something that is trapped, held back, or otherwise confined. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pegar | ||
| In some dialects, “pegar” can also mean to “hit” or “grab”. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | glacadh | ||
| The word 'glacadh' is also used in a figurative sense in Scots Gaelic, referring to a sudden or powerful emotion or a mental state, indicating a sense of 'seizure' or 'capture'. | |||
| Spanish | captura | ||
| The Spanish word "captura" derives from the Latin "captūra" (capture), which comes from the verb "capere" (to take, seize). | |||
| Swedish | fånga | ||
| The word "fånga" is derived from the Old Norse word "fang", meaning "to seize" or "to capture". | |||
| Welsh | dal | ||
| Dal has additional meanings of 'obtain', 'achieve', 'grasp', 'seize', 'hold' and 'retain' | |||
Catch in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | злавіць | ||
| The word "злавіць" can also mean "to grasp" or "to seize" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | uhvatiti | ||
| 'Uhvatiti' also means 'to understand, grasp'. | |||
| Bulgarian | улов | ||
| The word "улов" in Bulgarian can also refer to a device or strategy used for fishing. | |||
| Czech | chytit | ||
| The word "chytit" originally meant to catch game, later also figuratively, such as a thief or someone falling. | |||
| Estonian | saak | ||
| The word "saak" in Estonian can also refer to the outcome of a trial or to the result of a hunt. | |||
| Finnish | ottaa kiinni | ||
| The word 'ottaa kiinni' in Finnish also means 'to take hold of something' or 'to grasp something'. | |||
| Hungarian | fogás | ||
| The word "fogás" originally meant "gripping" or "grasping" and can also refer to courses of a meal. | |||
| Latvian | noķert | ||
| The word "noķert" can also mean "to arrest" or "to apprehend" | |||
| Lithuanian | pagauti | ||
| The word "pagauti" originally comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *pag- which means "fasten" or "bind". | |||
| Macedonian | фати | ||
| The word "фати" in Macedonian also means "to get" or "to receive". | |||
| Polish | łapać | ||
| "Łapać" also means "bribe" in Polish as well as "catch". | |||
| Romanian | captură | ||
| The Romanian word "captură" can also mean "prisoner" or "capture". | |||
| Russian | поймать | ||
| In Russian, "поймать" also means "to understand" or "to figure something out." | |||
| Serbian | улов | ||
| The Serbian word "улов" also refers to a deception, a fraud or a trick. | |||
| Slovak | chytiť | ||
| The Slovak word "chytiť" is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*chъtiti", meaning to seize or grasp. | |||
| Slovenian | ulov | ||
| The word "ulov" in Slovenian also refers to "harvest" or "profit". | |||
| Ukrainian | виловити | ||
| The verb "виловити" can also mean "to pick out" or "to find". | |||
Catch in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ধরা | ||
| The word "ধরা" (dhora) in Bengali also means "to hold" or "to grasp". | |||
| Gujarati | કેચ | ||
| The Gujarati word "કેચ" not only means "to catch" but also signifies "to obtain"," to seize", and "to understand". | |||
| Hindi | पकड़ | ||
| The Hindi word 'पकड़' (catch) can also refer to the handle or grip of a tool or weapon. | |||
| Kannada | ಹಿಡಿಯಿರಿ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಹಿಡಿಯಿರಿ" also has a meaning of "to capture or arrest". | |||
| Malayalam | പിടിക്കുക | ||
| The Malayalam word "പിടിക്കുക" (piṭikkuk) also means "to hold", "to seize", "to arrest", "to capture", "to grasp", and "to obtain". | |||
| Marathi | झेल | ||
| The Marathi word "झेल" can also mean "to endure" or "to bear". | |||
| Nepali | समात्नुहोस् | ||
| In Sanskrit, 'samatnuhos' means 'to bring together, collect, fetch'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਫੜੋ | ||
| The word 'ਫੜੋ' (catch) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'ग्रह' (graha), meaning 'to seize' or 'to take hold of'. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අල්ලා ගන්න | ||
| The Sinhala verb 'අල්ලා ගන්න' is derived from the Dravidian root 'al', originally meaning 'to take or hold'. | |||
| Tamil | பிடி | ||
| பிடி ('Piti'): In addition to meaning "catch," it can also refer to "to hold," "to seize," "to embrace," or "to love." | |||
| Telugu | క్యాచ్ | ||
| "క్యాచ్" (catch) derives from Old English "cacchen," meaning "to seize" or "to capture." | |||
| Urdu | کیچ | ||
| In Urdu, “کیچ” also means “small” or “tiny”. | |||
Catch in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 抓住 | ||
| The word "抓住" (zhuāzhù) in Chinese can also mean "to seize" or "to arrest". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 抓住 | ||
| 抓住 in Chinese is formed from two characters with meanings of "catch" and "grip" respectively and can be used to describe various forms of holding or securing something. | |||
| Japanese | キャッチ | ||
| "キャッチ" (kyatchi) derives from the English word "catch", and can also mean "headline" or "slogan" | |||
| Korean | 잡기 | ||
| The word '잡기' is derived from the Middle Korean word '잡다,' meaning 'to seize or hold,' and is also related to the Japanese word 'tsukamu,' meaning 'to catch or grasp.' | |||
| Mongolian | барих | ||
| "Барих" derives from Mongolian "bar" (to take), and also means "to hold" or "to possess." | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖမ်းသည် | ||
Catch in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menangkap | ||
| Menangkap can also mean to arrest, seize, or capture something. | |||
| Javanese | nyekel | ||
| The word 'nyekel' in Javanese is also used in the phrase 'nyekel hati', meaning 'to be heartbroken'. | |||
| Khmer | ចាប់ | ||
| "ចាប់" means "to seize" in Old Khmer; it can also mean "to hold" in the sense of keeping or restraining. | |||
| Lao | ຈັບ | ||
| The word 'ຈັບ' can also mean 'to arrest' or 'to take hold of something'. | |||
| Malay | tangkap | ||
| The word "tangkap" can also be literally interpreted as "hold tight" | |||
| Thai | จับ | ||
| The word "จับ" can also mean "to hold", "to arrest", or "to seize". | |||
| Vietnamese | nắm lấy | ||
| Nắm lấy (catch) also means to grasp or seize in Vietnamese, and it can be used figuratively to refer to understanding or accepting something. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mahuli | ||
Catch in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tutmaq | ||
| In Azerbaijani, "tutmaq" also means "to hold" or "to keep" in a physical or figurative sense. | |||
| Kazakh | аулау | ||
| The word "аулау" is also used to refer to a "place where animals are kept" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кармоо | ||
| The word "кармоо" in Kyrgyz can also mean "to comprehend" or "to understand" | |||
| Tajik | сайд кардан | ||
| The word "сайд кардан" is derived from the English word "sidecar" meaning a small passenger compartment attached to the side of a motorcycle. | |||
| Turkmen | tutmak | ||
| Uzbek | ushlamoq | ||
| The word "ushlamoq" is also used in Uzbek to mean "to get caught" or "to become trapped." | |||
| Uyghur | تۇتۇش | ||
Catch in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hopu | ||
| Hopu can also mean "gather" or "pluck" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | hopu | ||
| The word "hopu" has several meanings, including "to catch," "to take hold of," "to seize," and "to embrace." | |||
| Samoan | faiva | ||
| The Samoan word "faiva" also means "to make" or "to create". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mahuli | ||
| "Mahuli" is a Filipino slang term for police, deriving from the word "catch" in English. | |||
Catch in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | katjaña | ||
| Guarani | japyhy | ||
Catch in International Languages
| Esperanto | kapti | ||
| Esperanto's "kapti" is derived from Russian "хапать" or "цапать" and has a wider range of meanings including "grab" or "snatch". | |||
| Latin | capturam | ||
| "Capturam" can also mean "profit" or "plunder" | |||
Catch in Others Languages
| Greek | σύλληψη | ||
| The word "σύλληψη" can also refer to the act of understanding or conceiving an idea, as well as the legal concept of arrest or apprehension. | |||
| Hmong | txhom | ||
| Txhom can also refer to the act of meeting someone or the result of a catch. | |||
| Kurdish | girtin | ||
| The word 'girtin' can also refer to the act of capturing or seizing something. | |||
| Turkish | tutmak | ||
| The verb "tutmak" in Turkish can also mean "to hold", "to grip", or "to keep". | |||
| Xhosa | ukubamba | ||
| The Xhosa word 'ukubamba' can also mean 'to hold', 'to carry', or 'to support'. | |||
| Yiddish | כאַפּן | ||
| The Yiddish word כאַפּן (khapn) can also mean 'seize' or 'grab' and is likely derived from the Germanic word 'kapen' or 'happen'. | |||
| Zulu | ukubamba | ||
| Ukubamba in Zulu also means to seize or to hold something tightly | |||
| Assamese | ধৰা | ||
| Aymara | katjaña | ||
| Bhojpuri | धरीं | ||
| Dhivehi | ހިފުން | ||
| Dogri | पकड़ो | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mahuli | ||
| Guarani | japyhy | ||
| Ilocano | tiliwen | ||
| Krio | kech | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گرتن | ||
| Maithili | पकड़नाइ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯣꯛꯄ | ||
| Mizo | man | ||
| Oromo | qabuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଧର | ||
| Quechua | hapiy | ||
| Sanskrit | परिगृह्णातु | ||
| Tatar | тоту | ||
| Tigrinya | ሓዝ | ||
| Tsonga | khoma | ||