Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 捕らえる | toraeru | [to̞ɾa̠e̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 捕まえる | tsukamaeru | [t͡sɨka̠ma̠e̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
The English phrase 'to catch' can be translated using different Japanese verbs depending on whether you are talking about snaring prey, seizing a person or catching an object. While 捕らえる and 捕まえる are the primary verbs for capturing living things, the noun キャッチボール refers specifically to the game of playing catch with a ball. Additionally, the borrowed term キャッチする is used casually, particularly when catching an object.
Which one should you use?
捕らえる is used for capturing or snaring animals, birds or prey, often implying a more deliberate or skillful act of trapping. In contrast, 捕まえる is a more common, general-purpose verb used for catching people, such as a criminal or animals.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The te-form of 捕まえる is 捕まえて.
How do you pronounce it?
toraeru
Did you know?
- In Japanese, catching a cold is not expressed with 捕まえる or 捕らえる, but with 引く (hiku), which literally means 'to pull'.
- The phrase 心を捕らえる uses the word for capture to mean 'captivating' someone's heart or attention, moving beyond the physical act of snaring.
- The borrowed term キャッチする is often used in business to mean 'grasping' an idea or a trend, rather than physically catching an object.
Examples in context
- 野うさぎを手で捕まえるのは難しい。It's difficult to catch a wild rabbit by hand.This sentence illustrates the difficulty of catching a wild rabbit by hand using 捕まえる.Tatoeba #655797 by arihato, translation #10140642 by CK
- ウサギを素手で捕まえるのは難しいよ。It is difficult to catch a rabbit by hand.This sentence shows how difficult it is to catch a rabbit by hand using 捕まえる.Tatoeba #10140649 by small_snow, translation #684765 by notrwanda
- 私たちは狐を捕まえるためにわなをしかけた。We set a trap to catch a fox.This sentence describes setting a trap to catch a fox using 捕まえる.Tatoeba #165851 by Sim5634, translation #248653 by CK
- 彼は魚を捕まえました。He caught a fish.
- 彼女はフリスビーをキャッチしました。She caught the Frisbee.
- 捕まえてくださいPlease catch (it).
- 手でボールを捕まえましたI caught the ball with my hands.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A brother and sister are talking about a bug in the house.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太、あそこに虫がいるよ！Yōta, asoko ni mushi ga iru yo!Yota, there is a bug over there!
- 陽太 Yota本当だ。僕が捕らえるよ。Hontō da. Boku ga toraeru yo.You're right. I'll catch it.
- 陽葵 Himari逃げないように気をつけてね。Nigenai yō ni ki o tsukete ne.Be careful so it doesn't get away.
- 陽太 Yota大丈夫、すぐに捕らえるから。Daijōbu, sugu ni toraeru kara.It's okay, I'll catch it soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “catch” translations and entries 捕らえる, 捕まえる, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
