capturado

Capturado is the past participle of the verb capturar in Spanish. It functions as an adjective and as part of composite tenses, indicating that something has been captured, seized, or taken. It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (capturado, capturada, capturados, capturadas).

Etymology and use

The word derives from capturar, itself from Latin capere meaning to take or seize. In everyday language, capturado describes a person, animal, object, or data that has been captured or apprehended. It is common in law enforcement (“El sospechoso fue capturado”), in wildlife or field work (“animales capturados para el estudio”), and in general reporting of events.

Grammatical notes

Capturado appears as the participle in perfect tenses with haber (he capturado, has capturado, hemos capturado). It can also form passive constructions with ser (fue capturado, fueron capturados). When referring to a person or thing, the gender and number must match the noun (un capturado, una capturada; varios capturados).

Contexts and nuance

In legal contexts, capturado often designates a detainee or seized item. In natural sciences or fieldwork, it describes specimens that have been captured for study. In everyday speech, capturado emphasizes the state of having been seized rather than the action itself, which is typically expressed with capturar in the infinitive or a different construction.

Related terms include capturar (to capture), captura (capture), and capturador (catcher), with capturado sharing common semantic fields across Spanish-speaking regions.