Japanese word

陥る

Pronunciation

Romajiochiiru

Meaning

  • verbget into

Example

彼は困った状況に陥ります。kare wa koma tta jō kyō ni ochii ri ma su

He gets into a difficult situation.

Illustration for 陥る (get into)

More examples

小さな油断から、思わぬトラブルに陥ることがあります。chii sa na yu dan ka ra omo wa nu to ra bu ru ni ochii ru ko to ga a ri ma su

A moment of carelessness can sometimes get you into unexpected trouble.

Core concept

It describes moving into an unwanted condition, often without intending to do so.

Common phrases

  • 困難に陥るkon nan ni ochii ru

    get into difficulty

  • 窮地に陥るkyū chi ni ochii ru

    get into a difficult situation

  • わなに陥るwa na ni ochii ru

    fall into a trap

Similar words

なるnaru: To become a state or condition, whether the change is ordinary or undesirable.
はまるhamaru: To get caught in a troublesome situation and have difficulty leaving it.

Definition in Japanese

好ましくない状態や困難な状況になる。kono ma shi ku na i jō tai ya kon nan na jō kyō ni na ru

Word origin

The native Japanese verb 落ち入る (ochiiru, "to fall into") combines 落ちる (ochiru, "to fall") with 入る (hairu, "to enter"), and 陥る (ochiiru, "to fall into") is its established kanji spelling.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 陥る (ochiiru) sounds more formal than なる (naru, "become"), so it is mainly used for serious or unwanted situations rather than ordinary changes.

Opposites

Word lists with this word