When you hear 捕まる (tsukamaru), think about something being caught or someone getting arrested. It's often used when talking about a person being caught by the police. For example, if a thief runs away, but then the police catch them, you would use 捕まる to describe the thief getting caught.
It can also be used for objects, like a ball getting caught. The key idea is that something or someone is taken and held, usually against their will or by an external force. It's a common and practical word to know.
When you're learning Japanese at a B1 level, understanding verbs like 捕まる (tsukamaru) is really useful. It means 'to be caught' or 'to be arrested,' and you'll often hear it in everyday conversations and news.
Think of situations where something or someone is apprehended. For example, a thief might be 捕まる by the police, or a fish might be 捕まる in a net.
It's an intransitive verb, meaning it doesn't take a direct object. So, you wouldn't say 'X catches Y,' but rather 'Y is caught.'
Mastering verbs like this helps you talk about common events and understand a wider range of Japanese content.
§ Understanding 捕まる (tsukamaru)
- Japanese Word
- 捕まる (tsukamaru)
- Pronunciation
- tsu-ka-ma-ru
- Meaning
- To be caught; to be arrested.
- CEFR Level
- B1
Let's break down 捕まる. This verb is super useful when you want to talk about something being caught or someone getting arrested. It's an intransitive verb, which means it doesn't take a direct object. The thing or person getting caught is the subject of the sentence.
§ Common Uses of 捕まる
You'll often hear 捕まる in a few key contexts:
- Being caught by police/authorities: This is probably the most common use.
- Getting caught in a trap: For animals, or even metaphorical traps.
- A ball or object being caught: Though for this, 捕まる implies a more firm or secure catch.
- Finding a hold/grip: For example, a hand catching onto something to steady oneself.
犯人はついに捕まりました 。
- Hint
- The criminal was finally caught/arrested.
ネットに魚が捕まった 。
- Hint
- The fish got caught in the net.
あの球はしっかり捕まった 。
- Hint
- That ball was securely caught.
§ 捕まる vs. 捕まえる (tsukamaeru)
This is where it can get a little tricky, but it's important to understand the difference between 捕まる (intransitive) and 捕まえる (transitive).
- Word
- 捕まえる (tsukamaeru)
- Meaning
- To catch; to arrest (transitive)
捕まえる is the transitive counterpart. It means *to catch* or *to arrest* someone or something. The subject of the sentence is the one doing the catching, and there's a direct object being caught.
警察が犯人を捕まえました 。
- Hint
- The police caught/arrested the criminal.
私は球を捕まえた 。
- Hint
- I caught the ball.
§ Alternatives and Nuances
While 捕まる is versatile, there are other words you might encounter that have similar meanings but with different nuances.
- 見つかる (mitsukaru): To be found. This is more general than 捕まる. It simply means something was discovered or located, not necessarily caught or apprehended.
- 種まる (tsumaru): To be clogged; to be packed. While it sounds similar, this verb is about things getting blocked or filled up, not caught. Don't mix them up!
- 苦戦する (kusensuru): To struggle; to have a hard time. Sometimes, when a person is 捕まる (caught) in a difficult situation, you might use words like this to describe their struggle, but 捕まる itself specifically refers to the act of being caught.
When deciding whether to use 捕まる, ask yourself: Is the subject of my sentence *being caught* or *getting arrested*? If yes, then 捕まる is likely the correct choice. If the subject is *doing the catching*, then you need 捕まえる.
Niveau de difficulté
The kanji 捕 (ho, toru) is common but might require some initial recognition. The okurigana is straightforward.
Writing the kanji 捕 can be moderately challenging due to its stroke order and complexity, but it's a useful kanji to learn.
The pronunciation つかまる is regular and follows standard Japanese phonetics. No complex sounds.
Easy to distinguish in spoken Japanese. The sounds are clear and not easily confused with other words.
Quoi apprendre ensuite
Prérequis
Apprends ensuite
Avancé
Grammaire à connaître
「〜に捕まる」 (ni tsukamaru) indicates the agent or cause of being caught. For example, by a person or a trap.
犯人は警察に捕まった。 (Hannin wa keisatsu ni tsukamatta.) - The criminal was caught by the police.
「〜が捕まる」 (ga tsukamaru) is often used when the focus is on the thing that got caught, without necessarily specifying who or what did the catching.
魚が網に捕まった。 (Sakana ga ami ni tsukamatta.) - The fish got caught in the net.
When used in a metaphorical sense, it can mean 'to get stuck' or 'to be held up by'.
渋滞に捕まって、遅刻してしまった。 (Jūtai ni tsukamatte, chikoku shite shimatta.) - I got caught in traffic and was late.
The verb 捕まる (tsukamaru) is an intransitive verb, meaning it doesn't take a direct object.
泥棒は捕まった。 (Dorobō wa tsukamatta.) - The thief was caught.
It can be used in the -te iru form (捕まっている) to indicate a state of being caught or arrested.
彼はまだ捕まっている。 (Kare wa mada tsukamatta iru.) - He is still caught (or arrested).
Exemples par niveau
電車に捕まって遅刻しました。
I was caught by the train and was late.
泥棒が警察に捕まった。
The thief was caught by the police.
彼女は強風で帽子が捕まった。
Her hat was caught by the strong wind.
魚が網に捕まった。
The fish got caught in the net.
指がドアに捕まって痛い。
My finger got caught in the door and it hurts.
子供が鬼ごっこで捕まった。
The child was caught in tag.
ボールが木に捕まった。
The ball was caught in the tree.
彼は信号無視で捕まった。
He was caught for running a red light.
犯人はついに警察に捕まった。
The culprit was finally caught by the police.
昨日、スリが駅で捕まったと聞いた。
I heard a pickpocket was caught at the station yesterday.
スピード違反で捕まると罰金がある。
If you get caught speeding, there's a fine.
彼は信号無視で捕まった。
He was caught for running a red light.
逃げようとしたが、すぐに捕まってしまった。
He tried to escape but was caught immediately.
その泥棒は防犯カメラに捕まった。
That thief was caught on a security camera.
もし不正行為が捕まったら、退学になるだろう。
If cheating is caught, you will probably be expelled.
彼は嘘をついているのが捕まって、叱られた。
He was caught lying and was scolded.
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
彼は昨日、警察に捕まりました。
He was caught by the police yesterday.
泥棒はすぐ捕まるでしょう。
The thief will probably be caught soon.
もし嘘をついたら捕まるよ。
If you lie, you'll get caught.
私は悪いことをしていないから捕まるはずがない。
I haven't done anything wrong, so I shouldn't be caught.
彼の言い訳は捕まるくらいひどかった。
His excuse was so bad he got caught.
逃げてもいつか捕まるだろう。
Even if he runs, he'll be caught someday.
車が捕まる前に、急いで。
Hurry before the car gets caught (in traffic/a jam).
捕まるのは時間の問題だ。
It's only a matter of time before he gets caught.
うっかりしていると、すぐに捕まる。
If you're not careful, you'll be caught right away.
捕まることを覚悟していた。
I was prepared to be caught.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Imagine a 'tsuka' (handle) that you 'maru' (grab) onto to avoid being 'caught' or 'arrested.' Think of a robber trying to escape, grabbing a handle to swing away, but ultimately getting caught.
Association visuelle
Picture a police officer wearing a uniform with 'TSU' and 'KA' on his badge, and a criminal with 'MARU' written on his orange jumpsuit, getting arrested.
Word Web
Défi
Describe a time you were 'caught' doing something, or when someone you know was 'arrested', using “捕まる” in your sentence. For example: “小さい頼ちの時、クッキーを盗もうとしていて、母に捕まった。” (When I was little, I tried to steal a cookie and got caught by my mom.)
Teste-toi 24 questions
The train stopped.
The cat caught the fish.
I watched a movie with my friend.
Read this aloud:
私は学生です。
Focus: ga-ku-sei
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
これはペンです。
Focus: pe-n
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
おはようございます。
Focus: o-ha-yo-u go-za-i-ma-su
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Choose the correct hiragana for とらまる:
The word is 'つかまる' (tsukamaru), meaning 'to be caught' or 'to be arrested.'
Which English word best matches 捕まる?
捕まる (tsukamaru) means 'to be caught' or 'to be arrested'.
Fill in the blank: 犯人は警察に___。
The sentence means 'The criminal was caught by the police.' '捕まった' (tsukamatta) is the past tense of '捕まる'.
The word 捕まる can mean 'to be arrested'.
Yes, 捕まる (tsukamaru) can mean 'to be arrested', in addition to 'to be caught'.
The word 捕まる is used when you catch something yourself.
No, 捕まる (tsukamaru) is a passive verb, meaning 'to be caught' or 'to be arrested'. If you catch something yourself, you would use 捕まえる (tsukamaeru).
You can use 捕まる to talk about getting caught in a traffic jam.
Yes, you can use 捕まる to describe getting caught in a traffic jam (渋滞に捕まる - juutai ni tsukamaru).
What does this phrase mean in English? It's about being caught by the police.
Listen carefully to the verb tense. What happened to the culprit?
This sentence talks about the consequence of doing something bad. Focus on 'itsu ka' and 'darou'.
Read this aloud:
彼が捕まったと聞いて、驚きました。
Focus: tsukama
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
逃げても、結局は捕まる運命だ。
Focus: tsukamaru unmei
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
犯罪者は必ず捕まるべきだ。
Focus: kanarazu tsukamaru
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
容疑者はついに警察に___。
「捕まる」は自動詞で、「（誰かに）捕まえられた」という受身の意味を表すため、「捕まった」が適切です。
犯罪現場から逃走した犯人は、数日後に別の街で___。
「捕まる」は「to be caught」という意味の自動詞です。完了の助動詞「〜てしまう」を組み合わせることで、「捕まってしまった」という表現になります。
彼の素行が悪かったため、ついに学校の先生に___。
「捕まる」は、人や物が何かに捉えられる状況を表す自動詞です。この文脈では、先生に注意を受ける、捕まる、という意味で使われています。
「捕まる」は、常に物理的に拘束される場合のみ使われる。
「捕まる」は物理的な拘束だけでなく、「（注意などが）捕まる」のように、比喩的に使われることもあります。
「捕まる」と「捕まえる」は、どちらも能動的な行為を表す。
「捕まる」は自動詞で「捕まえられた」という受身の意味、「捕まえる」は他動詞で「（誰かを）捕まえる」という能動的な行為を表します。
逃走中の容疑者が警察に捕まった、という文は正しい日本語である。
「捕まる」は「to be caught; to be arrested」という意味なので、この文は正しいです。
/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
Contenu associé
Ce mot dans d'autres langues
Plus de mots sur general
いくつか
B1An unspecified small number of things; some, a few.
ちょっと
A2A little; a moment; a bit. Small amount or short time.
すこし
A2A little; a few.
さっき
A2A little while ago; a short time past.
能力
A1Nouryoku refers to the mental or physical power, skill, or capacity required to perform a specific task or function. It can describe both innate talent and skills acquired through learning and practice.
異常
A1A word used to describe something that deviates from the normal state, standard, or expected pattern. It often implies a problem, malfunction, or an extraordinary occurrence that requires attention or investigation.
～について
A2About, concerning; indicates topic.
〜について
B1About, concerning; on the subject of.
～ぐらい
A2about, approximately
ぐらい
A2About; approximately; to the extent of.
