gotcha

English

Alternative forms

• gotchya, gottcha, gotchu

Etymology

Univerbation of got +‎ you; also analyzable as got +‎ -cha/ya

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɑt͡ʃə/
  • Homophone: gacha
• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɒt͡ʃə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒtʃə

Contraction

gotcha (colloquial)

1. Got you; have you; as in capture or apprehend.

   I gotcha now, ya little twerp.

2. Understand you; comprehend you.

   Yeah, I gotcha. Good thinkin'!

3. Got you covered, got your back; when you have an advantage or responsibility over someone.

   Gotcha! Go on in...

4. Got you back; as in after causing some form of retaliation or revenge against someone.

   Gotcha! And don't ever do that to me again.

5. Got you by surprise; exclamation indicating a successful trick or prank.

   Gotcha! They never notice the whoopie cushion!

Derived terms

• gotcha keyword

Related terms

• getcha

Translations

got you

• Arabic: مَسَكْتُكَ m (masaktuka), مَسَكْتُكِ f (masaktuki), مَسَكْتُكُمَا c du (masaktukumā), مَسَكْتُكُم m pl (masaktukum), مَسَكْتُكُنَّ f pl (masaktukunna)
• Czech: mám tě
• Finnish: kiinni jäit!, jäädä kiinni
• French: j’t’ai eu
• German: hab dich, erwischt (de)
• Hindi: मिल गया m (mil gayā), मिल गई f (mil gaī), मिल गए m pl (mil gae), मिल गईं f pl (mil gaī̃)
• Hungarian: megvagy
• Italian: ti ho preso
• Japanese: ガッチャ (gatcha)
• Korean: 잡았다 (jabatda)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: kua hai
• Persian: گیرت آوردم
• Polish: mam cię
• Portuguese: te peguei, ter de (pt), perceber (pt)
• Romanian: te-am prins
• Russian: попа́лся! (ru) (popálsja!) (to a man), попа́лась! (ru) (popálasʹ!) (to a woman), попа́лись! (ru) (popálisʹ!) (to a group)
• Spanish: te tengo, te atrapé, te agarré
• Tagalog: huli ka
• Turkish: yakaladım

Noun

gotcha (plural gotchas) (colloquial)

1. A potential problem or source of trouble.

   Review the work thoroughly and make sure there are no gotchas.

2. An instance of publicly tricking someone or exposing them to ridicule, especially by means of an elaborate deception.

   They change the number at random intervals and if you miss a sign. What a gotcha!

3. An attempt to disprove or refute someone's argument, usually in a deceptive or disingenuous way.

   You're asking me a ridiculous hypothetical question that no one can reasonably answer. You need to stop with your gotchas.

4. An instance of accomplishing a tricky idea or overcoming a difficult obstacle.

   Now here's another few gotchas that you can do to implement it.

5. (computing) A feature of a system or a program that works in the way it is documented but is counter-intuitive and almost invites mistake or non-function.

   Wireless was the first gotcha when installing the distro.

Derived terms

• game of gotcha
• gotcha journalism

Translations

(computing) a feature that is counter-intuitive

• Spanish: pillada (es) f, trabocheto m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

See also

• gotta
• letcha
• letchya
• user-friendly