French Phrase
Cette ville capte bien ?
Meaning
Literally, “Does this city capture well?” In everyday French this asks whether the city gets good signal reception – for TV, radio, or mobile networks. It’s a quick way to check the quality of coverage in a particular place.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’ve just arrived in a new town, when you’re comparing network coverage between locations, or when you’re helping a friend decide where to live based on signal quality.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Cettevillecaptebien?
Demonstrative adjective
"Cette" agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is feminine singular to match "ville".
Verb "capter" (present)
"Capte" is the third‑person singular present indicative of "capter", meaning ‘to receive’ (a signal, image, etc.).
Adverb placement
"Bien" follows the verb to modify how well the action is performed.
Yes‑no question without inversion
In spoken French, a rising intonation and a question mark can turn a statement into a question without changing word order.
🗨In Conversation
Cette ville capte bien ?
Does this city have good reception?
Oui, le réseau 4G est très fort ici, même à la campagne.
Yes, the 4G network is very strong here, even in the countryside.
✕Common Mistakes
Cette ville est capte bien ?
Do not use "capter" with "être" (e.g., *Cette ville est capte* is incorrect). The verb itself carries the meaning of receiving.
Cette ville bien capte ?
Placing "bien" before the verb (*bien capte*) sounds unnatural; it should follow the verb.
Cette ville capte‑t‑elle bien ?
While grammatically correct, this inverted form is overly formal for casual conversation.
↔Alternatives
Cette ville a-t-elle une bonne réception ?
Does this city have good reception?
Le réseau fonctionne‑t‑il bien dans cette ville ?
Does the network work well in this city?
On capte bien le signal ici ?
Do we get a good signal here?
Cultural Tip
In France people usually talk about "couvrir" (to cover) when referring to mobile network coverage – e.g., "Le réseau couvre bien la ville". "Capter" is more common for TV or radio reception. Be aware of the register: the short question "Cette ville capte bien ?" is informal and typical in spoken conversation.