捕まる

• Reading: つかまる
• Romaji: tsukamaru
• Kanji breakdown: 捕 (ho/tsuka) — catch, capture, seize
• Pronunciation: /tsɯ.ka.ma.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To be arrested; to be caught; to be captured.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb conjugated with the る row (捕まらない, 捕まります). Used for being apprehended by police (犯人が捕まる), being caught in games (鬼ごっこで捕まる), and casually for getting hold of someone (タクシーが捕まる, to catch a taxi). The transitive counterpart is 捕まえる.

Examples

1. 泥棒がやっと警察に捕まった。 The thief was finally caught by the police.
2. タクシーがなかなか捕まらなくて遅刻した。 I couldn't catch a taxi and ended up being late.
3. 子供たちが鬼ごっこで捕まらないように走っている。 The kids are running around trying not to get caught in a game of tag.

Usage Guide

Context: news, crime, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the verb stem 捕ま (tsukama) with the intransitive ending る. The kanji 捕 depicts a hand (扌) catching prey, conveying the sense of seizing or apprehending.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal