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JAPANESE VERB

つかまえる

捕まえる

to catch

  • #286 most used
  • Ichidan verb (ru-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI catch
NegativeI don’t catch

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI caught
NegativeI didn’t catch

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formcatching, and…
Doing now (て います)I am catching
Please (て ください)please catch

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can catch
NegativeI can’t catch

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to catch
NegativeI don’t want to catch

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s catch

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I catch
  2. If, when (たら) if I catch

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) catch (do it)
  2. Plain command catch!
  3. Please don’t please don’t catch

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am caught
CausativeI make someone catch

How to use つかまえる

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    なつ に なる と、 むすこ は せみ を つかまえます。

    When summer comes, my son catches cicadas.

  2. Past

    けいさつ が、 やっと はんにん を つかまえた。

    The police finally caught the culprit.

  3. Te-form

    タクシー を つかまえて、 びょういん に いった。

    I grabbed a taxi and went to the hospital.

  4. Potential

    あめ の ひ は、 タクシー が なかなか つかまえられない。

    On rainy days you can hardly get a taxi.

  5. Want to

    かぶとむし を つかまえたい から、 あさ はやく おきる。

    I want to catch a beetle, so I'm getting up early.

  6. Volitional

    にわ に ねずみ が いる。 つかまえよう。

    There's a mouse in the garden. Let's catch it.

  7. Conditional

    ぬすんだ ひと を つかまえれば、 さいふ は もどる かも。

    If they catch the thief, maybe the wallet will come back.

  8. Commands and requests

    ちょうちょ を つかまえないで。 にがして あげて。

    Don't catch the butterfly. Let it go.

  9. Passive and causative

    はしって にげた が、 おにいちゃん に つかまえられた。

    I ran away, but my big brother caught me.

Good to know

  • つかまえる is to catch something that gets away, a thief, a bug, a taxi; つかまる, "to be caught", is its intransitive: どろぼう が つかまった.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: ichidan verb (ru-verb).