infänga

Infånga is a Swedish verb meaning to capture, trap, or ensnare. It is used for both literal capture—such as catching animals or detaining someone—and figurative senses, including seizing attention, information, or opportunities. The form is built from the verb fånga (to catch) with the prefix in-, which adds a sense of enclosing or taking inside.

In usage, infånga is transitive and can appear in various tenses like other Swedish verbs. Nonfinite forms include infångande (present participle) and infångat (supine); passive voice is infångas. The word appears across registers ranging from natural science and hunting texts to journalism and literature, though in everyday speech the simpler fånga is more common for many senses. It can take direct objects or be used with metaphorical targets such as uppmärksamhet (attention), information, or möjligheter (opportunities).

Examples illustrate its range: "Jägaren kunde infånga räven i fällan" (The hunter managed to capture the fox in the trap) and "Nyheten infångade publikens uppmärksamhet vid lanseringen" (The news captured the audience’s attention at the launch). Etymologically, infånga is formed by adding the prefix in- to fånga, conveying the idea of bringing inside or enclosing. See also fånga, infångad, infångas, fångst, and fångenskap.