There are many English words that are borrowed, or directly stolen, from other languages. Italian is a language that English has borrowed from many times, and the word kapish is no different. So what does kapish mean?
Kapish is a word of Italian origin that dates back to the 1940s. It’s a slang word for “do you understand”, but it can simply mean “understand” and other synonyms like it, such as “comprehension”. The exact definition of kapish depends on how you’re using it.
The rest of this article will cover what kapish means, and how to use it.
What Kapish Means
Believe it or not, kapish is not the only spelling of this word. In fact, kapish is just one of many spellings, and it isn’t even the most popular. Maybe this spelling is more familiar to you: capiche. There are other spellings as well: capeesh and kapeesh.
However, kapeesh is a less used spelling because there is no K in Italian, and since kapish is an Italian word, it’s better to stick to the spellings that start with a c. Also, capiche is the closest to the pronunciation of the word. It’s pronounced like this in slang: cah-peese.
Kapish is a simple word used typically at the end of a sentence to ask someone if they understand.
How To Use Kapish
This word is a bit trickier to use because there’s no real reason to say kapish in English when you can simply ask “do you understand?”.
Since kapish is a rare word with an intricate meaning and origin, it’s best not to use it in daily life. However, if you’d like to expand your vocabulary and use it anyway, you can use it at the end of your sentence.
If you’re speaking with a friend or group of friends, you can use capiche at the end of your sentence as a subtle way of asking if they understand. Be sure to say the word strongly so they hear it clearly. Since it’s slang, not everyone will know it right away, so give them time.
For example, here’s a sentence using the word: “When I get back, you better be sitting down, capiche?”
In this example, the speaker is using kapish at the end to ask the person they’re speaking to if they understand. This is the best way to use kapish in daily life.