capisce

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[edit] English

[edit] Alternative spellings

capice, capicé, capiche, capeesh, capisch, capishe, coppish

[edit] Etymology

From Italian capisce, third person present tense form of capire "to understand", from Latin capere "to grasp, seize". Related to capture.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Interjection

capisce

  1. (slang) "Get it?"; "Understand?".
    • 1996 Andy and Larry Wachowski, Bound, Dino De Laurentiis Productions and Spelling Films
      Gino Marzzone: You gotta start respecting Johnny, the way you respect me. Capisce?
    • 1997 Eric Bogosian. Notes from Underground, page 138
      It's very simple, George, you forget about this whole licensing lawsuit pipe dream of yours or you can forget about your buddy working in my factory for the next couple of years. I will be that angry. Capiche?
    • 2003 Richard Chiappone. Water of an Undetermined Depth
      I mean, if you were coming into the plant for the long haul, God forbid, then you'd have to think seriously about the money. Capiche?

[edit] Usage notes

Often used in a threatening manner, suggesting the Italian Mafia.

Without a question mark at the end, it is sometimes used colloquially to mean, "I understand".

It is important to underline that this is NOT an Italian word, in the use in American English here described.

It is one of a set of Italian-American words not part of the use of the Italian language.

In standard Italian it is used in the third person singular form of capire and in the colloquial Sicilian dialect.


[edit] Italian

[edit] Verb form

capisce

  1. third person singular present tense of capire
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