Captive vs Hostage

Cuándo usar cada una en inglés, con significado, registro y ejemplos.

Captive

Top 5000 (bastante común)B1adjective

Hostage

Top 5000 (bastante común)C1noun
 CaptiveHostage
Pronunciación🇬🇧 //ˈkæptɪv//🇺🇸 //ˈkæptɪv//🇬🇧 /["/ˈhɒstɪdʒ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈhɑːstɪdʒ/"]/
SignificadoBeing held or kept in one place and unable to leave.A person who is kept as a prisoner to force others to do something.
EjemploThe captive animals in the zoo seem to miss their natural habitat.Three children were **taken hostage** during the bank robbery.
RegistroNeutralNeutral
Qué tan comúnTop 5000 (bastante común)Top 5000 (bastante común)
Nivel CEFRB1C1
Categoría gramaticaladjectivenoun
Colocacionescaptive audience, captive animal, captive markethold (somebody), keep (somebody), seize
Antónimosfree, liberated, unconfinedfreedom, liberty
Errores comunesConfused with 'captivated' which means fascinated or charmed., Omitting the context of being unable to leave, leading to misinterpretation., Using it only for people, rather than animals or objects.Confused with 'host' — 'hostage' refers to a prisoner., Mispronouncing the word as 'h-o-s-t-age' instead of 'h-o-s-t-ij.', Using 'hostage' in a non-serious context, which can be insensitive.
Notas de usoUsed to describe animals, people, or situations where someone is trapped or unable to escape.Used in contexts involving crime or negotiation. Avoid in casual conversations unless discussing serious events. Common in news reports or discussions about security.

Preguntas frecuentes: Captive vs Hostage

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre Captive y Hostage?

Captive: Being held or kept in one place and unable to leave. Hostage: A person who is kept as a prisoner to force others to do something.

¿Captive y Hostage tienen el mismo nivel CEFR?

Captive: B1, Hostage: C1 en la escala CEFR.

¿Puedo usar Captive y Hostage indistintamente?

No siempre. Captive y Hostage están relacionadas y a veces se solapan, pero difieren en registro, frecuencia y uso, así que cambiar una por otra puede alterar el significado o el tono. Revisa las diferencias de arriba antes de sustituir.