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I have a few questions on this sentence:

```

     彼{かれ}は彼女{かのじょ}の手を捕{つか}まえた
    
```

What's the difference between 捕まえる and 捕える? both of them mean to catch right?

about 彼 and 彼女. From what I understand 彼 is he and 彼女 is her? It's very odd to
see it, because most of the time we are trying to use less directive speech in
japanese right? How common are sentences like this one?

Thanks, Or
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meaning
help me understand a few elements in this sentence
The main difference is basically just the reading and the base verb -
tsukamaru -> tsukamaeru, and toru -> toraeru.

Toru can be written with different kanji to have different nuances, but with
the same kanji the two are essentially the same.

Kare is "he" and Kanojo in this context could be taken as "his girlfriend".
This is third person, so I'm not sure what you mean by that (it's an
observation about 2 other people, not yourself). Seems like a very normal
sentence.
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### Nuance

In addition to misaka's answer, it is also worth noting the difference in
nuance -- 捕{つか}まえる has overtones of _"to catch **in one's hand** , to hold
tightly **in the hand** "_.

捕{と}らえる, meanwhile, does mean _"to catch and not let go"_ , but not
necessarily in one's hand; in this way, the meaning is closer to _"to
capture"_.

### Derivation

捕{つか}まえる comes from older 捕{つか}まう, traditional spelling 掴{つか}まふ, itself
derived as the continuative / repetitive form ( _"to grab or seize **and hold
onto** "_) of momentaneous verb 掴{つか}む ( _"to grasp, grab, or seize"_ ),
likely from noun 束{つか} ( _"a handful"_ ) + verb-forming suffix む (which seems
to be related to 見{み}る, perhaps from a sense of _"to seem or look like; to be
made to seem or look like"_ ), in turn possibly derived from verb つく with a
base meaning approaching _"to stick or set; to stick or set one thing into,
onto, or against another"_.

捕{と}らえる comes from older 捕{と}らう, traditional spelling 捕{と}らふ, derived as the
continuative / repetitive form ( _"to take **and keep** "_) of momentaneous
verb とる ( _"to take"_ , of various kanji spellings, depending on the intended
overtones). Some etymologies suggest that とる itself represents a verb formed
from noun 手{て} (ancient combining reading た), and both とる and 捕{と}らえる have
_"hand"_ -related senses -- but they also have more abstract senses ( _"to
capture; to enthrall; to seize an opportunity"_ , etc.), whereas 掴{つか}む and
捕{つか}まえる are (generally) more specific about the physical aspects of
_"catching"_.
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According to the dictionary, とらえる and つかまえる have the same meaning.

とらえる is not much used in spoken language.

とらえる can also be used for abstract things:  
相手の心を捕らえる: catch the person's heart.  
真相を捕らえる: catch the truth.  
機会を捕らえる: catch an opportunity.

> 【１】「捕らえる」「捕まえる」は、逃げないようにしっかりと押さえる意。「捕らえる」は、話し言葉ではあまり用いられない。  
>  【２】「捕らえる」には、「相手の心を捕らえる」「真相を捕らえる」「機会を捕らえる」のように、抽象的な事柄を掌握する意もある。  
>  <http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/thsrs/9408/meaning/m0u/>

Words like 彼 and 彼女 (meaning the third person) originally didn't exist in the
Japanese language.  
They were introduced with the translation of western books.  
Today they seem to be quite common.
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