dakop

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1 Part of speech, core meaning, sentence position, and example sentences

  • Part of speech
    • Verb (root): dakop — “to catch, capture, arrest”
    • Common noun (rare): dakop — “a catch, an arrest”
  • Sentence-position rule
    A conjugated dakop form normally heads the predicate and any clitic actor-pronoun follows right away:

Mo-dakop ko sa isda sa suba ugma.
I’ll catch fish in the river tomorrow.

  • Example sentences
Cebuano sentenceEnglish translation
Mo-dakop ko ug alimango sa bakhaw.I will catch crabs in the mangrove.
Nag-dakop sila sa tulisan kagabii.They were arresting the bandit last night.
Gi-dakop sa pulis ang suspetsado sa merkado.The suspect was arrested by the police at the market.

2 Verb derivations of dakop

FormVoice & aspectTypical translationSample sentence
mag-dakopActor focus, habitual / future“will regularly catch / usually arrest”Mag-dakop sila ug isda kada adlaw. — They catch fish every day.
mo-dakopActor focus, non-past / imperative“will catch; catch!”Mo-dakop ta karon, ha. — Let’s catch them now, okay.
nag-dakopActor focus, progressive“is / was catching”Nag-dakop siya sa manok pag-abot nimo. — He was catching the chicken when you arrived.
ni-dakop / mi-dakopActor focus, completed past“caught / arrested”Ni-dakop sila sa tulisan kagahapon. — They caught the bandit yesterday.
gi-dakopPatient focus, completed past“was caught (by …)”Gi-dakop sa guwardiya ang magnanakaw. — The thief was caught by the guard.
dakpon (-on)Patient focus, future / imp.“to be caught / catch it”Dakpon nato ang kawatan dayon. — Let’s catch the thief immediately.
dakpan / dakpi (-an / -i)Beneficiary / locative focus“to catch for / catch at”Dakpi ang iro sa kilid, palihog. — Please catch the dog at the side.

3 Common phrases

  • dakop sa isda — fishing / fish catch
  • mag-dakop og Pokémon — catch Pokémon
  • gi-dakop sa pulis — arrested by police
  • dakpon ang kriminal — apprehend the criminal
  • dakpan sa checkpoint — caught at a checkpoint

4 Detailed usage notes

  1. Actor-focus forms (mo-, nag-, ni-) emphasize the person or group doing the catching or arresting.
  2. Patient focus (gi-dakop, dakpon) highlights the person/animal/object caught: gi-dakop ang pusit.
  3. Beneficiary / locative focus (dakpan / dakpi) points to whom or where the action is directed: dakpi ko sa pusa “catch the cat for me.”
  4. Object markers — use ug/og for indefinite prey (mo-dakop og isda), sa for definite ones (nag-dakop sa tago-an).
  5. Interjection — Dakop! can be yelled to mean “Catch (him)!” or “Bust him!”
  6. Reduplication — dakop-dakop can suggest playful chasing, e.g., kids playing tag.

5 Common mistakes & how to avoid them

MistakeIssueCorrect form
Mo-dakop ako ug isda.Actor clitic misplaced.Mo-dakop ko ug isda.
Gi-dakop ko ang iro.With gi-, actor must be genitive (ni / sa).Gi-dakop ni ko ang iro.
Dakpon ta siya!Beneficiary/locative command needs dakpi.Dakpi siya!
Nag-dakop sa pusaMissing actor pronoun.Nag-dakop ko sa pusa.

6 Short everyday conversations

  1. A: Mo-dakop ka ba ug isda karong weekend? — Will you go fishing this weekend?
    B: Oo, pero buntag ra ko mo-dakop. — Yes, but I’ll only fish in the morning.
  2. A: Nag-dakop na ang pulis sa snatcher? — Have the police caught the snatcher?
    B: Oo, gi-dakop siya sa plaza. — Yes, he was arrested at the plaza.
  3. A: Dakpi palihog ang iring, naglagot ang kapitbahay. — Please catch the cat, the neighbor is angry.
    B: Sige, akong dakpon karon. — Sure, I’ll catch it now.
  4. A: Ni-dakop ka og Pokémon kagabii? — Did you catch Pokémon last night?
    B: Ni-dakop ko og tulo ka rare! — I caught three rares!
  5. A: Mag-dakop ta og mangga kung mahulog? — Shall we catch mangoes when they fall?
    B: Sakto, para dili masayang. — Right, so they won’t go to waste.
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