Translation guide
This English idiom means to go from a bad situation to an even worse one. Japanese has several equivalent proverbs and expressions, ranging from classical sayings to modern casual phrases.
I thought I finally found a job, but now my boss is terrible. Out of the frying pan into the fire.
A classical Chinese-origin proverb: 'a tiger at the front gate, a wolf at the back gate.' It vividly illustrates escaping one danger only to face another.
It was good to quit that company, but the next workplace is even more exploitative. Truly out of the frying pan into the fire.
A colloquial, slightly humorous phrase: 'from the first block of hell to the second block.' It implies the situation is still hell, just a different part.
I felt relieved after breaking up with my boyfriend, but the new one is even worse. It's like out of the frying pan into the fire.
A less common proverb: 'from the fire into the water.' It conveys a similar meaning but is not as widely used as the others.
We fled the war, but now we suffer from famine. Out of the frying pan into the fire.
Japanese proverbs are often used in set phrases. You can simply state the proverb after describing the situation, or use it with ～という感じ (it's like ~) or まさに～だ (it's truly ~).