掴つかむ

つ

か

む

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

掴む · godan verb (-mu)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	掴つかむ	掴つかまない
Polite	掴つかみます	掴つかみません
Past polite	掴つかみました	掴つかみませんでした
Past	掴つかんだ	掴つかまなかった
Te-form	掴つかんで	掴つかまないで
Desire	掴つかみたい	掴つかみたくない
Potential	掴つかめる	掴つかめない
Passive	掴つかまれる	掴つかまれない
Causative	掴つかませる	掴つかませない
Causative passive	掴つかませられるalso 掴つかまされる	掴つかませられないalso 掴つかまされない
Volitional	掴つかもう
Polite volitional	掴つかみましょう
Imperative	掴つかめ	掴つかむな
Conditional	掴つかめば	掴つかまなければ
Tara conditional	掴つかんだら	掴つかまなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

grab; grasp; seize; catch hold of

usually written using kana alone

Physical action of taking hold of something with the hand. Covers grabbing, gripping, clutching, and catching.

彼かれは私わたしの手てを強つよく掴つかんだ。
He grabbed my hand tightly.
チャンスを掴つかむのは今いまだ。
Now is the time to seize the opportunity.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

obtain; acquire; get; win; capture

usually written using kana alone

Metaphorical extension: to obtain something desirable, such as information, evidence, a prize, or a victory.

確たしかな証しょう拠こを掴つかんだ。
We obtained solid evidence.
彼かれはついに優ゆう勝しょうを掴つかんだ。
He finally captured the championship.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

understand; grasp; comprehend

usually written using kana alone

Figurative use: to grasp a concept, situation, or someone's feelings. Often used with abstract nouns like 要点, 気持ち, 意味.

話はなしの要よう点てんを掴つかんでください。
Please grasp the main point of the story.
彼かれの気き持もちを掴つかむのは難むずかしい。
It's hard to understand his feelings.

See all 224 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の手てを掴つかむto grab someone's hand
彼かれは驚おどろいて彼かの女じょの手てを掴つかんだ。
He grabbed her hand in surprise.
チャンスを掴つかむto seize a chance/opportunity
彼かの女じょはこのチャンスを掴つかんで成せい功こうした。
She seized this opportunity and succeeded.
要よう点てんを掴つかむto grasp the main point
話はなしの要よう点てんを掴つかむのが得とく意いだ。
I'm good at grasping the main point of a talk.
〈物もの〉をしっかり掴つかむto grip something firmly
落おちないようにロープをしっかり掴つかんでください。
Grip the rope firmly so you don't fall.
〈人ひと〉の心こころを掴つかむto win someone's heart
その笑え顔がおがみんなの心こころを掴つかんだ。
That smile won everyone's heart.

Expressions· 8

尻尾しっぽを掴つかむhave something on someone; catch someone out; get evidence on someone
空くうを掴つかむgrasp at the air; try to catch the wind
こつをつかむget the hang of; learn the trick to
藁わらをも掴つかむgrasp at straws; resort to desperate measures
襟えり首くびを掴つかむgrab by the collar; seize by the scruff of the neck

Show 3 more

証しょう拠こを掴つかむobtain evidence; get proof
胸むなぐらを掴つかむgrab by the collar; seize by the lapels
溺おぼれる者ものは藁わらをも掴つかむa drowning man will clutch at a straw

Kanji

掴catch, seize, grasp
摑box one's ears, slap
攫abduct
把grasp, faggot, bunch

Related words· 7

握にぎるN3sense 1
握る focuses on holding something firmly in a closed hand, while 掴む emphasizes the initial act of grabbing or seizing it.
得えるN3sense 2
得る is a neutral, formal word for obtaining something, while 掴む carries a nuance of actively seizing or fighting for what one gets.
理り解かいN3sense 3
理解する is the plain, formal verb for understanding, while 掴む is more colloquial and vivid, suggesting a sudden grasp of the point or feeling.
捕つかまえるN4sense 1
捕まえる is used for catching a person or animal (often with the idea of capturing them), while 掴む is more general and applies to objects or abstract things too.

Show 3 more

取とるN5
取る is a general, neutral word for taking or picking something up, whereas 掴む emphasizes gripping or grasping something firmly.
握にぎり締しめるN1
掴む focuses on the initial act of seizing or catching something, whereas 握り締める describes the sustained tight grip after taking hold.
つまむN2
掴む means to grasp firmly with the whole hand, whereas 摘む is a light, precise pinch using just the fingertips.

Opposites

放はなすN3sense 1
放す means to let go of or release something one is holding, the opposite of 掴む's act of grabbing hold of it.
逃のがすN2
掴む means to grab or seize an opportunity, the opposite of 逃す, which means to let a chance slip away.

Don't confuse with

つまむN2sense 1
摘む（つまむ）means to pinch or pick something up lightly with fingertips, unlike 掴む（つかむ）which means to grab firmly with the whole hand.
捕つかまるN3
掴む is a transitive verb meaning 'to grab/seize something', whereas 捕まる is intransitive and means 'to hold on to something for support'.

Word family· 9

掴つかみ
grip; grasp; hold · having all needed cards for a scoring combination in hand
鷲わし掴づかみ
grabbing hold; eagle grip; tight hold
一ひと掴つかみ
a handful (of) · grasping (with one hand); grabbing; taking a handful
引ひっ掴つかむ
snatch; grab
掴つかみ取とる
grasp; seize; grab hold of

Show 4 more

掴つかみ投なげ
lifting throw
高たか値ね掴づかみ
buying near the top of the market
掴つかみかかる
grab at; clutch at; grasp at
掴つかみ上あげる
grab and lift up; snatch up

Written forms

掴つかむUsage7%
Standard kanji form; commonly used in all senses.
つかむUsage71%
Kana spelling is very common and often preferred in everyday writing.
摑つかむUsage21%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
攫つかむUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
把つかむUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not recommended for active use.

Etymology

Native Japanese verb. The kanji 掴 is a phono-semantic compound with 手 (hand) and 國 (country), but the character is used here for its meaning 'to grasp'. The reading つかむ is of native origin.