To Capture
To Catch, To Apprehend
transitive verb, ichidan verb
The kanji itself means catch, and 捕える means to capture something or to catch something.
捕える is often used in writing to describe having someone captured to keep them from escaping. But it can also be used in more abstract contexts, like capturing a moment in a photograph, grasping a concept or idea, or seizing an opportunity.
You can remember the meaning for this because everyone wants to capture elves (える). Sorry, elves… You're just so cool, people want to capture and keep you forever.
You recently learned 捕まる, which uses the same kanji, but this word has a totally different reading. To remember it, just think about how the meaning of 捕える kind of resembles the verb 捉える that you learned a while ago. 捕える is mostly for capturing things, and 捉える is mostly for grasping ideas. So it kinda makes sense that they'd have the same とらえる reading, right?
人を捕える
to capture a person
魚を捕える
to catch a fish
スパイを捕える
to capture a spy
敵を捕える
to capture an enemy
兵士たちは敵を生きたまま捕えた。
The soldiers captured the enemy alive.
前線で数名の若い敵兵を捕えました！
We captured several young enemy soldiers at the front line.
捕えられたスパイは静かに笑った。
The captured spy smiled quietly.
王を捕えれば、戦いは終わるはずだった。
If they captured the king, the battle was supposed to end.