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.
I disentangle the tangled thread.
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.
I untie my shoelaces.
He disentangled the complicatedly tangled rope.
To loosen, unravel, or disentangle something that is tangled or matted. Often used for hair, wool, or fibers.
I disentangle the tangled yarn.
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.
He finally disentangled himself from that bad relationship.
To slip out, escape, or extricate oneself from a situation. Implies a successful disentanglement.
To cut off, separate, or detach. Stronger nuance of severing ties.
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.
Researchers are trying to disentangle the complex phenomenon.
To sort out, organize, or straighten out. Can be used for disentangling facts or a messy situation.
Metaphorically used for unraveling a complex problem, similar to 'untangle' in English.
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.
Disentangle a tangled necklace.
He solved the puzzle.
Loosen stiff shoulders.
He disentangled himself from the troublesome job.
To disentangle oneself from past entanglements.
He disentangled the confused information.
複雑な問題を一つずつほどいていく。
I disentangle the complex problem one by one.