apuca

Romanian

Etymology

Possibly from metathesis of a Vulgar Latin aucupāre, from Latin aucupārī. Other theories suggest Latin occupāre, with meaning influenced by or confused with the former. Compare Aromanian apuc.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /a.puˈka/
Audio: (file)
Hyphenation: a‧pu‧ca
Rhymes: -a

Verb

a apuca (third-person singular present apucă, past participle apucat) 1st conjugation

(transitive) to grab, grip, grasp, seize
(reflexive, somewhat informal) to start, endeavour, begin to do something [with de]
a se apuca de treabă ― to get to work
(catenative, rather informal) to get to do something
(transitive) to live to see something, either by living long enough or by being born early enough
Copilul nu l-a apucat pe străbunicul său.
The child didn’t get to meet his great-grandfather.
- 2015 August 14, Daniel Cristea-Enache, “Adrian Păunescu, ieri și azi”, in Adevărul‎^[1], archived from the original on 2023/02/28:
  Nichita Stănescu nu a apucat Revoluția, spre deosebire de Adrian Păunescu […]
  Nichita Stănescu did not live to see the Revolution, unlike Adrian Păunescu […]
(transitive, now uncommon) to have a tradition be passed down
(transitive, of a point in time, informal) to catch someone unready
a îl apuca seara ― to not be done by nightfall

Pe constructori o să îi apuce iarna și tot nu o să fie gata.
Winter will come and the builders still will not be ready.
(intransitive or transitive with placeholder o, now informal, less common) to head
(transitive, of a mental state or physical manifestation, informal) to come upon somebody
a îl apuca plânsul ― to start crying
(transitive, of an out of line behaviour, informal) to come upon somebody
a îl apuca pandaliile ― to throw a fit

Te-a apucat să fluieri? Fă liniște!
Did you suddenly think to whistle? Shut up!
- 2003, Constantin Popescu, transl., Punct contrapunct‎^[2], Polirom, translation of Point Counter Point by Aldous Huxley, published 2014, →ISBN, chapter 8:
  Ce l-a apucat să devină sentimental din pricina unui cuplu fericit?
  What’s come to him, for him to get sentimental because of a happy couple?
(reflexive, obsolete) to take it upon oneself
(transitive, obsolete) to usurp, take for oneself

Conjugation

conjugation of apuca (first conjugation, no infix)

number		singular			plural
infinitive			a apuca
gerund			apucând
past participle			apucat
person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		eu	tu	el/ea	noi	voi	ei/ele
	present	apuc	apuci	apucă	apucăm	apucați	apucă
	imperfect	apucam	apucai	apuca	apucam	apucați	apucau
	simple perfect	apucai	apucași	apucă	apucarăm	apucarăți	apucară
	pluperfect	apucasem	apucaseși	apucase	apucaserăm	apucaserăți	apucaseră
subjunctive		eu	tu	el/ea	noi	voi	ei/ele
subjunctive	present	să apuc	să apuci	să apuce	să apucăm	să apucați	să apuce
imperative		—	tu	—	—	voi	—
	affirmative		apucă			apucați
	negative		nu apuca			nu apucați

Synonyms

(grasp): prinde
(begin): începe, se pune
(get to do): ajunge
(head): face, se îndrepta, o lua
(live to see): prinde
(come upon): (of feelings) lua, (of an odd behaviour) îi veni
(take upon oneself): se (angaja), făgădui, se obliga, (regional) se lega
(usurp): prădui, uzurpa

Derived terms

References

apuca in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)