The English verb 'to catch' is incredibly versatile, isn't it? You can catch a ball, catch a cold, catch a bus, or catch someone's eye. But in French, you can't use the same verb for all these situations.

Learning the different ways to say 'to catch' will not only expand your vocabulary but also help you sound more like a native speaker.

Ready to dive in and catch all the nuances? Let's explore nine different French verbs that capture the meaning of this common English word!

The standard 'to catch' (a ball, a cold, a train) – attraper

Attraper is the go-to, versatile French verb for “to catch”. Its meaning is broad, covering everything from physically catching an object to catching a bus or even an illness, making it an essential verb for everyday conversation.

The most literal meaning of attraper is to physically catch or grab something, especially an object in motion. If you throw a ball, the person receiving it will attraper le ballon.

A very common use of attraper is for catching a mode of transport. You use it when you're trying to make it on time for a bus, train, or plane. For example, il faut courir pour attraper le bus (we have to run to catch the bus).

Just like in English, you “catch” a cold in French. Attraper is the correct verb for becoming ill. You can say j'ai attrapé un rhume (I caught a cold) or elle a attrapé la grippe (she caught the flu).

Attraper also has figurative meanings. The phrase se faire attraper means “to get caught” doing something wrong. You can also attraper un coup de soleil (get a sunburn), which literally translates to “catch a sun-hit”.

Fortunately for learners, attraper is a regular -er verb. This means it follows the standard, predictable conjugation pattern for one of the largest groups of verbs in French, making it relatively easy to master.

💡 * Dépêche-toi, tu vas rater le bus ! - Non, je pense que je peux l'attraper. (Hurry up, you're going to miss the bus! - No, I think I can catch it.)

• Si tu joues sous la pluie, tu vas attraper froid. (If you play in the rain, you're going to catch a cold.)
• Le chat a sauté pour attraper la souris. (The cat jumped to catch the mouse.)
• J'ai attrapé un coup de soleil terrible à la plage hier. (I got a terrible sunburn at the beach yesterday.)

The 'to catch' a mode of transport – prendre

When you want to say you're 'catching' a bus, train, or metro in French, the verb you'll almost always use is prendre, which literally means 'to take'.

This is a key difference from English. While you might be tempted to find a direct translation for 'to catch,' French speakers consistently use prendre for modes of transport. Thinking 'I take the bus' instead of 'I catch the bus' will help you sound more natural.

Prendre is a common but irregular verb, so its conjugation is essential. Key present tense forms are je prends (I take), nous prenons (we take), and ils prennent (they take). In the past tense (passé composé), it uses the auxiliary 'avoir': j'ai pris (I took).

This verb is incredibly versatile and applies to nearly all forms of transportation. You can prendre le train (take the train), prendre l'avion (take the plane), prendre un taxi (take a taxi), or prendre le métro (take the metro).

A common mistake for learners is to use the verb attraper (to physically catch). While you can attraper un ballon (catch a ball), you do not attraper le bus. Sticking with prendre for scheduled transportation is always the correct choice.

💡 * Je prends le bus de 8h tous les matins pour aller au travail.

• Nous allons prendre le train pour aller à Lyon ce week-end.
• Dépêche-toi, ou tu vas manquer le métro ! On doit le prendre maintenant.
• Avez-vous pris un taxi pour venir de l'aéroport ?
• Elle prend l'avion pour la première fois, elle est un peu nerveuse.

The 'to seize' or 'to grab' – saisir

The French verb saisir is a versatile and common verb whose primary meaning is 'to seize,' 'to grab,' or 'to take hold of.' It implies a quick, firm, or sudden action.

In its most literal sense, saisir is used for the physical act of grabbing something. For example, you can saisir un objet (grab an object) or saisir la main de quelqu'un (grab someone's hand).

Figuratively, saisir is frequently used to mean 'to understand' or 'to grasp' a concept, idea, or situation. It's often interchangeable with comprendre. If you understand a point, you can say, Je saisis. (I get it.)

Similar to English, you can also 'seize an opportunity' in French. The expression is saisir une occasion or saisir sa chance. This highlights the idea of taking advantage of a moment decisively.

In a technical context, saisir means 'to enter' or 'to input' data, like saisir un mot de passe (to enter a password). In a legal context, it means 'to seize' or 'to confiscate' assets, as in saisir les biens d'une personne (to seize a person's assets).

Good news for learners: saisir is a regular second-group verb, meaning it conjugates just like finir. For example, in the present tense: je saisis, tu saisis, il/elle saisit, nous saisissons, vous saisissez, ils/elles saisissent.

💡 * Il a saisi son téléphone juste avant qu'il ne tombe.

• Je n'ai pas saisi la blague, peux-tu l'expliquer ?
• C'est une occasion unique, il faut la saisir !
• Veuillez saisir votre nom d'utilisateur et votre mot de passe.
• La police a saisi la marchandise illégale.

The informal 'to nab' or 'to snag' – choper

The informal 'to nab' or 'to snag' – choper

Choper is a highly common slang verb in French that translates to 'to catch,' 'to grab,' or 'to snag.' It's the informal counterpart to the standard verb attraper and is used frequently in everyday conversation.

This verb is incredibly versatile. You can use choper for catching an illness (choper un rhume - to catch a cold), physically grabbing an object (choper les clés - to snag the keys), or even getting caught by someone (se faire choper - to get nabbed).

Despite being slang, choper follows the regular conjugation pattern for -er verbs, making it simple to use. For example, in the present tense: je chope, tu chopes, il/elle chope.

💡 * J'ai peur de choper la grippe cet hiver. (I'm afraid of catching the flu this winter.)

• Le voleur s'est fait choper par la police. (The thief got nabbed by the police.)
• Chope les clés avant de partir ! (Snag the keys before you leave!)
• Il a chopé une super place au concert. (He snagged a great spot at the concert.)

The 'to catch someone in the act' – surprendre

The French verb surprendre literally means “to surprise,” but it has a specific and common usage that directly translates to “to catch someone in the act” or “to catch someone red-handed.”

To express this idea, you typically use the structure: surprendre quelqu'un en train de + [infinitive verb]. This literally means “to surprise someone in the middle of doing something.”

This phrase almost always implies that the person was caught doing something they shouldn't have been, whether it's something mischievous, forbidden, or simply private. The key element is the unexpected discovery.

Be mindful that surprendre is an irregular verb conjugated like prendre. Its past participle is surpris and it uses the auxiliary verb avoir in the passé composé (e.g., j'ai surpris, tu as surpris).

A very common and slightly more formal alternative is surprendre en flagrant délit, which is the direct equivalent of “to catch red-handed” or “in the very act.”

💡 * J'ai surpris mon frère en train de lire mon journal intime. (I caught my brother reading my diary.)

• Le gardien a surpris les voleurs en train de forcer la porte. (The guard caught the thieves forcing the door.)
• Elle a été surprise en train de mentir à ses parents. (She was caught lying to her parents.)
• La police les a surpris en flagrant délit de vol. (The police caught them in the act of stealing.)

1. The 'to catch up with' – rattraper

The primary French verb for 'to catch up with' is rattraper. It's a highly versatile verb used in various contexts, from physically catching up with a person to catching up on missed work, sleep, or news.

You use rattraper when you are literally trying to close a physical distance with someone or something. For example, if a friend is walking ahead of you, you might shout, Attends-moi, je te rattrape ! (Wait for me, I'm catching up!).

Its most common use is abstract. You can rattraper ton retard (catch up on what you're behind on), rattraper le travail manqué (catch up on missed work), or even rattraper le sommeil (catch up on sleep). It signifies making up for a deficit or delay.

When you want to 'catch up' with a friend about life events, rattraper is also used, often in the phrase rattraper le temps perdu (to make up for lost time). It implies reconnecting after a period of not seeing each other to share what's new.

💡 * Il court vite, mais je vais essayer de le rattraper.

• J'ai beaucoup de travail à rattraper après ma semaine de vacances.
• On doit se prendre un café pour rattraper le temps perdu !
• Elle a manqué plusieurs cours et doit maintenant rattraper son retard.

The 'to catch' the meaning of something – capter

In informal, everyday French, the verb capter is a very common way to say 'to get,' 'to grasp,' or 'to catch' the meaning of something. It's a slang equivalent of the more formal verb comprendre (to understand).

You'll often hear capter used when someone is trying to understand a concept, a joke, or a set of instructions. A common question to check for understanding is, 'Tu captes ?' which literally means 'You catching this?' but is used like 'Do you get it?'.

The literal meaning of capter is 'to capture' or 'to receive,' like when a radio or phone capte un signal (picks up a signal). This original meaning helps to understand the slang usage: your brain is 'receiving the signal' of the information being shared.

💡 * J'ai mis du temps, mais j'ai enfin capté la blague. (It took me a while, but I finally got the joke.)

• Tu captes ce que le prof explique ? Moi, pas du tout. (Do you get what the teacher is explaining? I don't at all.)
• Ah d'accord, je capte mieux maintenant. (Ah, okay, I get it better now.)
• Il parle trop vite, je ne capte rien. (He speaks too fast, I can't catch anything.)

The 'to catch sight of' – apercevoir

The verb apercevoir translates to 'to catch sight of,' 'to glimpse,' or 'to spot.' It implies seeing something briefly, partially, or from a distance, rather than observing it in detail.

Unlike the general verb voir (to see), apercevoir emphasizes the act of perception or the moment something enters your field of vision. It's less about a prolonged look and more about a quick notice.

Pay close attention to its reflexive form, s'apercevoir de quelque chose, which means 'to realize' or 'to become aware of' something. This is a very common and important usage. For example, Je m'aperçois de mon erreur means 'I realize my mistake.'

As a verb ending in -cevoir, its conjugation has a small trick: the 'c' becomes a 'ç' before the vowels 'o' and 'u' to maintain the soft 's' sound (e.g., j'aperçois, but nous apercevons).

💡 * J'ai aperçu ton frère au marché ce matin. (I caught sight of your brother at the market this morning.)

• Du haut de la tour, on peut apercevoir toute la ville. (From the top of the tower, you can glimpse the whole city.)
• Je me suis aperçu que j'avais oublié mes clés. (I realized that I had forgotten my keys.)
• Elle ne s'est pas aperçue de sa présence. (She didn't notice his presence.)

4. To 'Catch' or Apprehend a Criminal: Cueillir

The verb cueillir primarily means 'to pick' or 'to gather,' typically in the context of flowers, fruits, or mushrooms. For example, On va cueillir des champignons en forêt means 'We are going to pick mushrooms in the forest.'

In informal French, particularly in slang (langage familier), cueillir takes on the meaning of 'to catch,' 'to nab,' or 'to apprehend.' This usage is almost exclusively reserved for police catching criminals or someone being caught in the act.

This verb implies that the person was caught easily or by surprise, as if being 'plucked' from their situation. It's often used in the passive reflexive form, se faire cueillir, which translates to 'to get caught' or 'to get nabbed.'

While the standard, formal verb for 'to arrest' is arrêter, using cueillir adds a colloquial, almost cinematic flavor. You are more likely to hear it in a crime drama or in casual conversation than in a formal news report.

💡 * Les policiers ont cueilli le suspect à l'aube. (The police officers nabbed the suspect at dawn.)

• Le voleur s'est fait cueillir en sortant de la bijouterie. (The thief got caught leaving the jewelry store.)
• Ils pensaient s'échapper, mais ils ont été cueillis à la frontière. (They thought they would escape, but they were caught at the border.)
• Fais attention, ou tu vas te faire cueillir par le prof. (Be careful, or you're going to get caught by the teacher.)

Are there other ways to say 'to catch' in French?

Are there other ways to say “to catch” in French?

Our list features the most common verbs for 'to catch' in French, covering everything from catching a ball to catching a cold. But the French language is full of nuances, and there are many other terms, including idiomatic expressions, regionalisms, and specific slang you might encounter.

For more specific situations, you can do an online search for “comment dire to catch a train en français” or add a region like Québec or Belgium to find local variations.

You might discover some interesting synonyms for attraper on a site like this. Remember to always check a word’s precise definition and observe how it's used in context before using it yourself. The verb for 'catching' a glimpse is different from the one for 'catching' a thief!

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French. You’ll be surprised by the different verbs native speakers use to express the idea of 'catching' in various contexts, from conversations to news reports.

And if you’re looking for more detailed examples or related expressions, the WordReference entry for attraper is a fantastic place to start your exploration!

I hope this guide has helped you 'catch' the nuances of this common English verb in French. To finish, here’s a classic French proverb that reminds us to seize opportunities: L'occasion est chauve par derrière. (Opportunity is bald from behind.) It means you have to grab it when it comes your way, because once it has passed, there's nothing left to catch hold of.