捕

JLPT N3

Catch

Readings

On’yomi: ホ (ho)

Kun’yomi: と(らえる), と(らわれる), つか(まえる) , つか(まる) (to(raeru), to(rawareru),tsuka(maeru),tsuka(maru))

• と(らえる) – to catch, to seize • と(らわれる) – to be caught, to be captured • つか(まえる) – to catch, to arrest • つか(まる) – to be caught, to be captured

Structure

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Detailed Explanation

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Mnemonic

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Etymology

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Visual Tip

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Vocabulary

捕まえる

つかまえる

catch

逮捕

たいほ

arrest

捕獲

ほかく

capture

捕手

ほしゅ

catcher

捕食

ほしょく

predation

Example Sentences

犯人を捕まえます。

はんにんをつかまえます。

I catch the criminal.

警察が逮捕します。

けいさつがたいほします。

Police arrest him.

動物を捕獲します。

どうぶつをほかくします。

They capture animals.

捕手です。

ほしゅです。

He is a catcher.

捕食します。

ほしょくします。

It preys.

Cultural Note

👮‍♀️ 捕 often appears in legal, police, and animal-related contexts.
• The compound 逮捕 (たいほ) is a very common news word for arrests.
• In everyday life, 捕まえる / 捕まる are used both literally (“catch a ball”) and figuratively (“catch someone’s attention”).
• In literature, 捕らわれる often means “to be trapped by emotions or thoughts,” symbolizing the mental capture — a frequent theme in Japanese storytelling.
In traditional martial arts and samurai culture, 捕 also implied skillful restraint — catching or controlling an opponent without unnecessary harm, reflecting Japan’s value of balance and precision in power.