"Megfogtam a labdát."

Translation: I grabbed the ball.

[JanTatouse]

I caught the ball? Does that work or do you need a different verb for it?

[Hulk014]

I caught the ball = Elkaptam a labdát.

[vvsey]

I caught the ball can also work sometimes. Especially when you are chasing the ball, as opposed to catching it when it was thrown to you. But a more literal translation is definitely "elkaptam".

[dqJacO]

OK -- that sort of explains why we used megfogta with catching the mouse we had been chasing.

[vvsey]

Mouse trap: "egérfogó".
What does a mouse trap do? It does not go after the mouse. It just grabs, or catches (or traps) the mouse.
The game of playing tag: "fogócska"
Tag, you're it: "te vagy a fogó"
Catch of the day: "mai fogás"
But when you are fishing with a pole, and the fish is biting the bait: "kapás van"
To catch a criminal: "elkapni", "elfogni"

Anyway, it may be best to learn these on a case by case basis as there does not seem to be a clear one to one relationship between catch/grab and elkap/megfog. Especially with these variable preverbs in Hungarian.

[Judit294350]

My dictionary gives "catch" as a more common translation than "grab".

[peter933474]

I grabbed the leg was rejected what is wrong

[peter933474]

I understand
Lab vs labda :-)

[Richard604037]

Judit raises a critical point here if her dictionary prefers caught to grabbed. Who do we believe to be correct? Elkaptam is said to be better for caught. For my part, I just came here filled with lots of fog and found yet more of it.