Translation guide
How to express 'disentangle' in Japanese, covering physical untangling, figurative separation, and clarifying complex situations.
To separate twisted or tangled threads, ropes, hair, etc.
The most common verb for physically undoing knots, tangles, or untying something. Used for strings, ropes, hair, etc.
To free someone or something from a difficult situation, relationship, or entanglement.
To release, liberate, or free from a constraint. Can be used for disentangling oneself from obligations or relationships.
彼はようやくその悪い関係から自分を解放した。
He finally disentangled himself from that bad relationship.
To make a complicated situation or problem clear and understandable.
To clarify, elucidate, or solve a mystery or complex problem. Often used in academic or investigative contexts.
研究者たちはその複雑な現象を解明しようとしている。
Researchers are trying to disentangle the complex phenomenon.
ほどく is the most common for physical untangling. 解く can also mean 'solve' and is slightly more formal. ほぐす implies loosening or unraveling something matted or tightly tangled, often used for hair or fibers.
絡まったネックレスをほどく。
Disentangle a tangled necklace.
彼はパズルを解いた。
He solved the puzzle.
肩のこりをほぐす。
Loosen stiff shoulders.
絡まった糸をほどく。
I disentangle the tangled thread.
彼女は髪のもつれをそっとほどいた。
She gently disentangled her hair.
Means to untie, undo, or solve. Can be used for physical untangling, but also for solving problems. Slightly more formal than ほどく.
靴ひもを解く。
I untie my shoelaces.
彼は複雑に絡まったロープを解いた。
He disentangled the complicatedly tangled rope.
To loosen, unravel, or disentangle something that is tangled or matted. Often used for hair, wool, or fibers.
絡まった毛糸をほぐす。
I disentangle the tangled yarn.
To slip out, escape, or extricate oneself from a situation. Implies a successful disentanglement.
彼は面倒な仕事から抜け出した。
He disentangled himself from the troublesome job.
To cut off, separate, or detach. Stronger nuance of severing ties.
過去のしがらみを切り離す。
To disentangle oneself from past entanglements.
To sort out, organize, or straighten out. Can be used for disentangling facts or a messy situation.
彼は混乱した情報を整理した。
He disentangled the confused information.
Metaphorically used for unraveling a complex problem, similar to 'untangle' in English.
複雑な問題を一つずつほどいていく。
I disentangle the complex problem one by one.