Attrapent

Attrapent is the third-person plural present tense form of the French verb attraper, meaning to catch or seize. It is used with the subject ils or elles in the present tense.

Attraper is a regular -er verb. In the present indicative, the full paradigm is j'attrape, tu attrapes, il/elle attrape, nous attrapons, vous attrapez, ils/elles attrapent. The form attrapent is the standard plural form in the present indicative, and it also appears in the present subjunctive as qu'ils attrapent.

Usage-wise, attraper is transitive and requires a direct object. It covers physical catching (for example, attraper un ballon, attraper des poissons) as well as other senses such as catching a disease (attraper la grippe) or catching someone’s attention in figurative language (attraper l’attention de quelqu’un). The meaning can extend from literal grasp to broader notions of capturing or obtaining something.

Common related forms include the past participle attrapé (as in j’ai attrapé), the present participle attrapant, and the other finite tenses: j’attrapais, j’attraperai, etc. In usage, attrapent specifically identifies a plural third-person present action, as in Ils attrapent des insectes, Ils attrapent les voleurs, or Ils attrapent un rhume.

See also: attraper, its related tenses, and common French verb conjugation patterns for -er verbs.