catturare
/kat.tuˈra.re/
The English phrase 'capture' translates to the Italian verb catturare.
catturare means to take control of something. This includes the physical act of capturing a person or an animal, but it is also used in an abstract sense to capture an image, a feeling or a moment in art and photography.
Meaning: take control of (verb)
Which one should you use?
While catturare is the standard term for both physical and abstract capturing, you can use the phrase impadronirsi di for a more literary effect.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of catturare is catturato, and the third-person plural present indicative form is catturano.
How do you pronounce it?
catturare is pronounced /kat.tuˈra.re/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- If you are playing checkers in Italy, you do not 'capture' a piece, but rather you 'mangiare' (eat) it. To say you have captured an opponent's piece, you would say ho mangiato un pezzo.
- The word catturare is a close relative of the English word 'capture', but it also shares a root with the Italian word cattivo, meaning 'bad'.
- While catturare is used for capturing an image, Italians often use the verb scattare when referring to the specific act of 'capturing' or 'taking' a photograph. This comes from the idea of the camera shutter 'snapping'.
Examples in context
- La fotografia mi consente di catturare momenti di meraviglia.Photography allows me to capture moments of wonder.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use catturare in the context of photography.Tatoeba #13261919 by Nuel, translation #13261918 by Nuel
- Il pezzo e la dama possono catturare in avanti o indietro uno o più pezzi.The checker and the king can both forward and backward capture one or more pieces.This sentence shows the use of catturare in the context of a board game like checkers.Tatoeba #10341256 by carlosalberto, translation #10341227 by carlosalberto
- Il nero gioca in E8 e cattura la pietra bianca in D8. In E8, la pietra nera è in Ko, cioè, nella prossima mossa, al Bianco sarà proibito catturarla giocando in D8. Il Bianco quindi gioca in E2, praticamente costringendo il Nero a giocare in E1. Ora il Bianco può giocare D8 e catturare la pietra Ko.Black plays E8 and captures the white stone on D8. On E8, the black stone is at Ko, that is, on the next move, White will be prohibited from capturing it by playing D8. White then plays E2, practically forcing Black to play E1. Now White can play D8 and capture the Ko stone.This sentence demonstrates the use of catturare during a complex game sequence.Tatoeba #10371193 by carlosalberto, translation #10371150 by carlosalberto
- È riuscito a catturare un'immagine stupenda durante il suo viaggio in Italia.He managed to capture a stunning image during his trip to Italy.
- È riuscito a impadronirsi del trono e governare con saggezza.He managed to capture the throne and rule wisely.
- Ho fatto una foto del tramonto ieri sera.I captured a photo of the sunset last night.
Example conversation
Matteo and Martina are discussing a strategy for a historical role-playing game.
- MatteoDobbiamo catturare la fortezza prima dell'alba.We must capture the fortress before dawn.
- MartinaÈ un piano molto rischioso, Matteo.It is a very risky plan, Matteo.
- MatteoSe riusciremo a catturare il castello, vinceremo.If we manage to capture the castle, we will win.
- MartinaAllora preparati, la battaglia sarà dura.Then get ready, the battle will be hard.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry catturare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
