Capisce
intj, verb, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 To understand (someone or something). US, slang, transitive
""I need at least a B-plus, and no one—I repeat, NO ONE—can know that I didn't write it. This paper is vitally important to my future. Do you capisce what I'm saying to you? Very important." / We grumbled our understanding into the phone. "Yeah, yeah, we capisce," Ellie said."
- 2 To understand. US, intransitive, slang
""Shoo, shoo, shoo, go help Pierfranco. He'll be bringing up heavy baskets, capisce?" I certainly capisced."
- 1 Used by a listener to confirm that they have understood something said to them: I got it, I heard you, I understand. US, slang
""I have a niece." / "No children?" / "Not married." / "What is the problem?" / "I'm single. No wife, no kids. No problem." / "Capisce." / "Yeah, capisce.""
- 2 Used by a speaker to confirm that the listener has understood something said to the latter: did you hear me?, get it?, understood? US, offensive, slang, sometimes
"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?"
Example
More examples""I have a niece." / "No children?" / "Not married." / "What is the problem?" / "I'm single. No wife, no kids. No problem." / "Capisce." / "Yeah, capisce.""
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from the spoken Neapolitan and Sicilian equivalents of either of the following: * Italian capisce (literally “he, she, etc., understands”), the third-person singular present indicative form; or * capisci (literally “you understand”) (possibly with the final vowel dropped or reduced in informal speech), the second-person singular present indicative form; of capire (“to understand”), from Latin capere, the present active infinitive of capiō (“to capture, catch, seize; to comprehend, understand; etc.”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to grab, seize; to hold”).
Related phrases
More for "capisce"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.