Translation guide
The English verb "entangle" covers physical tangling, figurative involvement in difficult situations, and romantic entanglement. Japanese uses different verbs and expressions for each nuance.
To twist or interweave things so they become caught or difficult to separate
Transitive verb meaning to entwine or entangle something with something else. Often used for threads, ropes, or abstract things.
彼は指に糸を絡めた。
He entangled the thread around his finger.
Intransitive verb meaning to become entangled or tangled. Used when something gets caught or twisted on its own.
釣り糸が足に絡まった。
The fishing line got entangled around my leg.
Transitive causative form of もつれる (to get tangled), meaning to cause something to become tangled. Often used for hair, threads, or complex situations.
風が髪をもつれさせた。
The wind entangled my hair.
Intransitive verb meaning to get tangled or snarled. Commonly used for hair, strings, or complicated matters.
髪がもつれてブラシが通らない。
My hair is entangled and the brush won't go through.
To become involved in a complicated or problematic situation, often against one's will
Passive form of 巻き込む (to involve). Means to get caught up or entangled in a situation, often with a negative nuance.
彼はトラブルに巻き込まれた。
He got entangled in trouble.
Transitive verb meaning to involve or entangle someone in something. Often used when someone drags another into a situation.
彼は私を面倒なことに巻き込んだ。
He entangled me in a troublesome matter.
Literally 'to have one's feet taken', meaning to be entangled or hindered by something, often used for physical obstacles or metaphorical entanglements.
雑草に足を取られて転んだ。
I got entangled in the weeds and fell.
Formal/literary verb meaning to be entangled or obsessed with something, often used for abstract concepts like rules or details.
彼は細かい規則に拘泥している。
He is entangled in petty rules.
To be involved in a complicated romantic or emotional relationship
Euphemistic phrase meaning to become intimately involved or entangled with someone romantically.
彼は同僚と深い仲になった。
He became romantically entangled with a coworker.
Literally 'to have a relationship', often implying a romantic or sexual entanglement, especially when used in certain contexts.
彼は既婚者と関係を持っていた。
He was entangled with a married person.
Can also be used figuratively for relationships that become complicated or entangled.
絡める (transitive) is used when someone actively entangles something, while 絡まる (intransitive) describes the state of being entangled. Use 絡める when you have an agent doing the tangling, and 絡まる when something becomes tangled by itself or the agent is not emphasized.
Directly translating 'entangle' into 絡める for abstract situations like 'entangled in a scandal' can sound unnatural. Use 巻き込まれる or other context-appropriate expressions instead.
二人の関係はもつれてしまった。
Their relationship became entangled.