捕まります（つかまります、tsukamariまsu）
- to be caught

The Japanese word 捕まります (tsukamarimasu) primarily means "to be caught," "to be arrested," or "to get caught." It's a passive form verb, indicating that the subject is the one being caught or arrested. It often implies a negative connotation, such as being caught doing something wrong or being apprehended by the authorities. ⚫︎It can also mean "to be trapped" or "to get stuck." ⚫︎The core meaning revolves around the idea of someone or something capturing or seizing something or someone else, with a focus on the subject's experience of this capture. ⚫︎The word describes the state of being apprehended or trapped.

⚫︎泥棒が警察に捕まります Translation: The thief gets arrested by the police. ⚫︎遅刻したので先生に捕まります Translation: I was late, so I got caught by the teacher. ⚫︎罠に捕まります Translation: To get caught in a trap.

⚫︎Use 捕まります when the subject is the recipient of the action of being caught or arrested. ⚫︎It's common to use it in situations involving law enforcement, rule-breaking, or being trapped. ⚫︎Pay attention to the context, as the meaning shifts slightly depending on what the subject is being caught by (police, a trap, etc.). ⚫︎Because it is a passive form, the focus is on the person or thing that is being affected by the action. ⚫︎This verb frequently follows a reason or cause for the "catching" (e.g., being late, stealing, etc.).

⚫︎The base form is 捕まる (tsukamaru). ⚫︎It is typically written in hiragana as つかまります. ⚫︎The kanji form is 捕まります. The kanji 捕 means "to catch" or "to capture." ⚫︎The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is usually まります for the polite form 捕まります.

⚫︎逮捕されます (taiho saremasu) - to be arrested (more formal) ⚫︎見つかります (mitsukarimasu) - to be found out/to be discovered (in the context of hiding something) ⚫︎引っかかります (hikkakarimasu) - to get caught/trapped (in a different sense, like a trap)

⚫︎While there isn't a direct antonym, words implying escape or evading capture could be considered opposites, such as: ⚫︎逃げます (nigemasu) - to escape/to run away ⚫︎見逃されます (minogaremasu) - to be overlooked/to be let off

スピード違反で警察に捕まりました。 ・Translation: I was caught by the police for speeding. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the speaker was arrested (or received a ticket) because of breaking the speed limit. The past tense 捕まりました indicates the event has already happened.

悪いことをしたので、先生に捕まりました。 ・Translation: I got caught by the teacher because I did something bad. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates a student's negative experience of being caught doing something wrong, with a teacher as the one doing the "catching." The use of ので ("because") explains the reason.

The verb 捕まる is formed from the verb 捕る (toru), which means "to catch" or "to seize," and is the stem, plus the passive form auxiliary verb. The verb 捕る is written with the kanji 捕. Therefore, the etymology directly links to the act of catching or capturing something.