What is the meaning and reading of the kanji "捕"?

The kanji "捕" belongs to JLPT N2 and means "Catch, Arrest, Capture". Its Onyomi is "ホ (ho)" and Kunyomi is "とらえる (toraeru), とる (toru), つかまえる (tsukamaeru)".

JLPT N2

捕

Catch, Arrest, Capture

Q: Is there a memory mnemonic for "捕"?

Yes! Radical breakdown: "扌 (te-hen: hand) + 甫 (ho: assist, begin, pole; phonetic component)". Mnemonic Story: "You spot a rare butterfly! Quickly, you extend your **hand** (扌) to **catch** it. You're using a long **pole** (represented by the vertical stroke in 甫) with a **net** (the '田' part in 甫) at the end, expertly moving to **capture** the beautiful creature before it gets away. You make sure to **hold** it gently once it's caught."

Onyomi

ホ (ho)

Kunyomi

とらえる (toraeru), とる (toru), つかまえる (tsukamaeru)

🧠 Memory Mnemonic

🔍 Radical Breakdown

扌 (te-hen: hand) + 甫 (ho: assist, begin, pole; phonetic component)

📖 Mnemonic Story

You spot a rare butterfly! Quickly, you extend your **hand** (扌) to **catch** it. You're using a long **pole** (represented by the vertical stroke in 甫) with a **net** (the '田' part in 甫) at the end, expertly moving to **capture** the beautiful creature before it gets away. You make sure to **hold** it gently once it's caught.

💡 Quick Hint: Hand catches with pole

Essential N2 Vocabulary

逮捕

たいほ

Arrest

捕獲

ほかく

Capture, seizure

捕手

ほしゅ

Catcher (baseball)

Kanji Practice Quiz

Verify your memory for "捕"

警察が犯人を＿＿＿＿＿した。

🎉 正解 / Correct!

解説: 逮捕は「たいほ」と読みます。
English: Arrest is read as 'taiho'.

🦅

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