Japanese word

捕まる

Pronunciation

Romajitsukamaru

Meaning

  • verbget caught

Example

鬼ごっこで捕まります。oni go kko de tsuka ma ri ma su

I get caught when we play tag.

Illustration for 捕まる (get caught)

More examples

かくれんぼで友だちに捕まります。ka ku re n bo de tomo da chi ni tsuka ma ri ma su

I get caught by my friend while playing hide-and-seek.

試合中に相手に捕まります。shi ai chū ni ai te ni tsuka ma ri ma su

I get caught by my opponent during the game.

Core concept

Presents a person as losing the chance to escape because another person finds or stops them.

Common phrases

  • 鬼に捕まるoni ni tsuka ma ru

    get caught by the tagger

  • 警察に捕まるkei satsu ni tsuka ma ru

    get arrested by the police

Similar words

見つかるmitsukaru: To come to someone's attention after being searched for or hidden.
捕らわれるtorawareru: To be taken under someone's control so that escape is no longer possible.

Definition in Japanese

相手に捕らえられて自由に動けなくなること。また、警察に逮捕されること。ai te ni to ra e ra re te ji yū ni ugo ke na ku na ru ko to ma ta kei satsu ni tai ho sa re ru ko to

Word origin

捕まる (tsukamaru, "be caught") is a native Japanese verb, but its historical formation is not certain enough to assign a specific suffix or source verb; the form denotes a resulting caught state.

Usage tips

  • The contrast between 捕まる (tsukamaru, "be caught") and 捕まえる (tsukamaeru, "catch someone") shows whether the sentence focuses on the caught person or the catcher.

Other meanings

  • be arrestedverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 捕まり方tsukamarikataway of getting caughtnoun

Word lists with this word