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Verb conjugation

alpaguer

to collar, catch, seize, arrest

Usage

A colloquial, very common slang verb meaning to grab or nab someone — most often police catching a suspect (se faire alpaguer par les flics), but also just buttonholing someone in conversation. Comes from alpague, old slang for a coat, via the image of grabbing someone by the collar.

Examples
  • Il s'est fait alpaguer par la police à la sortie du bar.He got nabbed by the police coming out of the bar.
  • Un vendeur m'a alpagué dans la rue pour me vendre un abonnement.A salesman collared me on the street to sell me a subscription.
  • Les gendarmes ont alpagué le voleur en pleine fuite.The officers caught the thief in the middle of his getaway.
Common mistake

This is informal slang, not neutral vocabulary — using it in formal writing or a job interview would sound jarring; arrêter (to arrest) is the neutral equivalent for formal contexts.

Often confused with arrêter.

Simple tenses

Present

jealpague
tualpagues
il/ellealpague
nousalpaguons
vousalpaguez
ils/ellesalpaguent

Imperfect

jealpaguais
tualpaguais
il/ellealpaguait
nousalpaguions
vousalpaguiez
ils/ellesalpaguaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jealpaguai
tualpaguas
il/ellealpagua
nousalpaguâmes
vousalpaguâtes
ils/ellesalpaguèrent

Future

jealpaguerai
tualpagueras
il/ellealpaguera
nousalpaguerons
vousalpaguerez
ils/ellesalpagueront

Conditional

jealpaguerais
tualpaguerais
il/ellealpaguerait
nousalpaguerions
vousalpagueriez
ils/ellesalpagueraient

Subjunctive

jealpague
tualpagues
il/ellealpague
nousalpaguions
vousalpaguiez
ils/ellesalpaguent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jealpaguasse
tualpaguasses
il/ellealpaguât
nousalpaguassions
vousalpaguassiez
ils/ellesalpaguassent

Imperative

tualpague
nousalpaguons
vousalpaguez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

jeai alpagué
tuas alpagué
il/ellea alpagué
nousavons alpagué
vousavez alpagué
ils/ellesont alpagué

Plus-que-parfait

jeavais alpagué
tuavais alpagué
il/elleavait alpagué
nousavions alpagué
vousaviez alpagué
ils/ellesavaient alpagué

Passé antérieur

jeeus alpagué
tueus alpagué
il/elleeut alpagué
nouseûmes alpagué
vouseûtes alpagué
ils/elleseurent alpagué

Futur antérieur

jeaurai alpagué
tuauras alpagué
il/elleaura alpagué
nousaurons alpagué
vousaurez alpagué
ils/ellesauront alpagué

Conditionnel passé

jeaurais alpagué
tuaurais alpagué
il/elleaurait alpagué
nousaurions alpagué
vousauriez alpagué
ils/ellesauraient alpagué

Subjonctif passé

jeaie alpagué
tuaies alpagué
il/elleait alpagué
nousayons alpagué
vousayez alpagué
ils/ellesaient alpagué

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

jeeusse alpagué
tueusses alpagué
il/elleeût alpagué
nouseussions alpagué
vouseussiez alpagué
ils/elleseussent alpagué

Impératif passé

tuaie alpagué
nousayons alpagué
vousayez alpagué

Other

Present participle

alpaguant

Past participle

alpagué

Infinitive

alpaguer

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "alpaguer" mean?

"alpaguer" means "to collar, catch, seize, arrest".

How do you conjugate "alpaguer" in the present tense?

The present of "alpaguer" is: je alpague, tu alpagues, il/elle alpague, nous alpaguons, vous alpaguez, ils/elles alpaguent.

What is the Passé composé of "alpaguer"?

The passé composé of "alpaguer" is: je ai alpagué, tu as alpagué, il/elle a alpagué, nous avons alpagué, vous avez alpagué, ils/elles ont alpagué.

What is the Imperative of "alpaguer"?

The imperative of "alpaguer" is: tu alpague, nous alpaguons, vous alpaguez.