Use つかむ for a physical grip and for grasping a situation or opportunity.

The idea

つかむ is a transitive godan verb: mark the thing grasped with を. Its polite form is つかみます, and its て form is つかんで. With 状況, コツ or チャンス it can describe understanding or seizing something abstract.

Patterns to compare
Dictionary formPolite non-pastPolite negativePolite pastて form
つかむつかみますつかみませんつかみましたつかんで

Examples

  • 子供こどもは母親ははおやの手てをしっかりつかみました。The child grasped their mother’s hand firmly.
  • 彼かれは飛とんできたボールをつかみました。He caught the ball that flew toward him.
  • 転ころばないように手てすりをつかんでください。Please grip the handrail so you do not fall.
  • まず状況じょうきょうをつかみましょう。First, let us grasp the situation.
  • 彼女かのじょはチャンスをつかみました。She seized the opportunity.
  • 練習れんしゅうを重かさねて、コツをつかみました。Through repeated practice, I got the hang of it.

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Watch out

Do not confuse つかむ with つかまる, an intransitive verb meaning to be caught or to hold on. The て form changes む to んで, not むて.

Try it yourself

  1. ＿。（つかむ→ます）

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    つかみます

    つかみます is the polite non-past; the godan ending む changes to み before ます.

  2. ＿。（つかむ→て）

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    つかんで

    つかんで is the て form: godan verbs ending in む change that ending to んで.

  3. 状況じょうきょうを＿。（つかみました／つかまりました）

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    つかみました

    つかみました fits because the speaker grasped the situation, marked by を; つかまりました is intransitive.

Use it today

Describe something you grasped and something abstract you grasped, using を in both sentences.