Inklingo

How to Say "captures" in Spanish

English → Spanish

tomas

TOH-mahsˈto.mas

nounB1general
Use 'tomas' when referring to the act of taking or capturing something, especially in a military or strategic sense, or for physical connections like electrical outlets.
A close-up illustration of two white electrical wall sockets mounted side-by-side on a brightly colored wall.

Examples

Las tomas del enemigo fueron rápidas y decisivas.

The enemy's captures were swift and decisive.

Necesitamos más tomas de corriente en la cocina.

We need more electrical outlets in the kitchen.

El director revisó todas las tomas antes de la edición final.

The director reviewed all the takes before the final edit.

Las tomas de este medicamento son cada ocho horas.

The doses of this medicine are every eight hours.

Feminine Plural Noun

The singular form is 'la toma' (feminine), so the plural is 'las tomas.' Make sure any adjectives describing it are also feminine and plural.

Mixing up 'Toma' and 'Foto'

Mistake: “Saying 'Necesito dos tomas' when you mean 'I need two photos.'”

Correction: 'Toma' refers to the *act* of taking a picture or a specific shot. Use 'fotos' or 'fotografías' for the resulting image.

detiene

de-TYEH-nehdeˈtjene

verbB2general
Use 'detiene' when 'captures' refers to something that holds or arrests attention, a gaze, or interest.
A person gazes intently at a large, vibrant blue and purple butterfly perched on a flower, their attention completely fixed on the insect.

Examples

Su discurso detiene la atención de la audiencia.

His speech captures the audience's attention.

La obra de arte detiene la mirada de todos los visitantes.

The artwork captures the gaze of all the visitors.

Ella detiene su respiración antes de saltar.

She holds her breath before jumping.

Figurative Use

In this context, 'detiene' is used figuratively, often with intangible things like 'gaze,' 'attention,' or 'breath,' meaning to pause or fix them.

come

KOH-mehˈko.me

verbB2figurative
Use 'come' (from 'comer') when 'captures' implies being consumed or corroded by something, like rust or an illness.
A close-up of a single heavy metal chain link covered entirely in rough, orange-brown rust damage.

Examples

La envidia come el alma de las personas.

Envy eats away at (captures) people's souls.

El óxido come el metal del coche.

The rust corrodes (eats away at) the metal of the car.

Si la torre come el peón, pierdes la partida de ajedrez.

If the rook captures the pawn, you lose the chess game.

Context is Key

The specific meaning ('corrodes' vs. 'captures') is entirely dependent on the subject: if the subject is acid or rust, it means corrosion; if the subject is a chess piece, it means capturing.

Confusing 'tomas' and 'detiene'

Learners often confuse 'tomas' (a noun for taking/capturing) with 'detiene' (a verb for holding attention). Remember that 'tomas' is about the action of seizing or taking, while 'detiene' is about something captivating or arresting.

Related Translations

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