行き詰まった
ikizumatta
The English word 'stuck' can be expressed in Japanese as 行き詰まった (ikizumatta).
行き詰まった is primarily used for metaphorical situations like being stuck in a project, a conversation or a career, rather than being physically stuck in a hole or a trap.
Meaning: trapped and unable to move (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 行き (going/movement) and 詰まった (blocked/clogged/stuffed).
How do you pronounce it?
ikizumatta
Did you know?
- While 行き詰まった describes a mental or social dead end, the word 詰む (tsumu) is used specifically when a player is 'stuck' in a checkmate in shogi. This term is now common slang for when a person's life or situation has reached an irreversible point of failure.
- The word 詰まった (tsumatta) is also used to describe the feeling of one's throat closing up due to strong emotion or sadness. In this context, it describes being 'stuck' with words or a sob that cannot be released.
- To describe being physically stuck, such as a ring on a finger, Japanese speakers use 抜けない (nukenai), which literally means 'cannot be pulled out'. Unlike English, which uses 'stuck' for both mental and physical states, Japanese uses entirely different verbs depending on the type of blockage.
Examples in context
- 行き詰まったの？Are you stuck?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is stuck using 行き詰まった.Tatoeba #8763930 by bunbuku, translation #4502339 by CK
- 仕事に行き詰まった。I'm stuck in my job.This sentence is useful for describing being stuck in a job using 行き詰まった.Tatoeba #2354085 by wakatyann630, translation #2253284 by _undertoad
- 私のプロジェクトは行き詰まってしまった。My project has come to a standstill.
- 電車の中でお財布をなくしました。どうしたらいいですか？困っています。I lost my wallet on the train. What should I do? I'm stuck.
- ゲームの最後のレベルで行き詰まっちゃったんだよ。I got stuck on the final level of the game.
- ダンスのステップが難しくて困ってるんだよ。I'm stuck because the dance steps are difficult.
- この問題で行き詰まっているんやけど、助けてくれんか？I'm stuck on this problem. Can you help me?
- 議論が行き詰まった。Giron ga ikizumatta.The discussion reached an impasse.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a project in an office.
- 健太 Kentaプロジェクトの計画が行き詰まったね。Purojekuto no keikaku ga ikizumatta ne.The project plan is stuck, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、どうすればいいでしょうか。Hai, dou sureba ii deshou ka.Yes, what should we do?
- 健太 Kenta一度、上司に相談してみよう。Ichido, joushi ni soudan shite miyou.Let's try consulting the boss once.
- 結衣 Yuiそうですね、そうしましょう。Sou desu ne, sou shimashou.You're right, let's do that.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
