苦戦している
kusen shite iru
The English phrase "struggling" can be translated into Japanese as 苦戦している (kusen shite iru).
This phrase is used to describe someone having difficulty winning a fight or succeeding in a challenging task.
What does it mean word for word?
The core noun 苦戦 (kusen) is composed of the characters for 'suffering/hardship' and 'battle/fight', meaning a hard fight or a difficult battle.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For casual conversations, you can use the informal phrase もがいている (mogaiteiru). To state a situation is difficult more formally, you can use たいへんな状況です (taihen na joukyou desu).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 苦戦している (kusen shite iru) uses the progressive form to indicate an ongoing state of struggling.
How do you pronounce it?
kusen shite iru
Did you know?
- The informal verb もがいている (mogaiteiru) comes from the word for thrashing or flailing about in water. It evokes the image of someone physically struggling to stay afloat, making it much more visceral than the English 'struggling'.
- If you are struggling with a heavy workload, you might say you are 手一杯 (teippai), which literally means 'hands are full'. This is a common alternative to the more dramatic 苦戦 (kusen).
- In business contexts, 苦戦 is used to describe companies losing market share, framing a commercial failure as a lost military engagement.
Examples in context
- 私は勉強に苦労しています。I am struggling with my studies.
- 彼女は仕事に困っています。She is struggling with her job.
- 最近ゲームの難しいレベルに苦戦しています。Lately, I've been struggling with the difficult levels in the game.
- 大学での研究に困っています。時間もお金も足りません。I am struggling with my research at the university. I don't have enough time or money.
- 彼は試合で苦戦している。Kare wa shiai de kusen shite iru.He is struggling in the match.
- 新しいプロジェクトで苦戦している。Atarashii purojekuto de kusen shite iru.I am struggling with the new project.
- ライバルに苦戦している状況だ。Raibaru ni kusen shite iru joukyou da.It is a situation where they are struggling against their rival.
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are discussing a difficult video game level.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太、このステージに苦戦しているの？Yōta, kono sutēji ni kusen shite iru no?Yota, are you struggling with this stage?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、全然クリアできないんだ。Un, zenzen kuria dekinai n da.Yeah, I can't clear it at all.
- 美咲 Misaki私がコツを教えてあげようか？Watashi ga kotsu o oshiete ageyō ka?Shall I tell you some tips?
- 陽太 Yotaお願い！助けてほしいよ。Onegai! Tasukete hoshii yo.Please! I want some help.
