verb
to catch, to capture
B1
fangen means 'to catch' or 'to capture'. Strong (irregular) verb: present vowel a→ä (du fängst, er fängt); preterite stem fing; past participle gefangen. Uses auxiliary haben (hast gefangen). Not separable or reflexive. Common for catching objects, animals or figuratively (e.g., jemand beim Lügen fangen). Often used transitively (ich fange den Ball).
Examples
Der Hund fängt den Ball.
The dog catches the ball.
Der Hund fing die Frisbee, obwohl der Wind stark blies, und er brachte sie danach stolz zurück.
The dog caught the frisbee although the wind blew strongly, and he brought it back proudly afterward.
Er fing den Fisch.
He caught the fish.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a dog leaping and closing its jaws like a fang to catch a ball
sounds like 'fang' in English (grab), imagine 'fang' as a sharp tooth catching something
Notes
Strong verb with vowel change in the present (du/er: fängst/fängt). Uses 'haben' in perfect tenses.