Translation guide
A difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing situation from which it is hard to escape. Japanese expresses this through nouns describing the situation, set phrases, and verbs that focus on being stuck or troubled.
困った状況です。
I'm in a predicament.
彼は苦境に立たされている。
He's in a predicament.
The speaker is in a tough spot, facing a problem or dilemma.
A general, somewhat formal word for a difficult situation or predicament. Often used in news or serious contexts.
彼は苦境に立たされている。
He is in a predicament.
A tight spot or dilemma, often implying a critical situation with no easy way out. Slightly more dramatic than 苦境.
彼女は窮地に陥った。
She fell into a predicament.
A natural, everyday way to say 'a troubling situation' or 'predicament'. Less formal and very common in speech.
困った状況になってしまった。
I've ended up in a predicament.
A casual way to say 'a bad/predicament situation'. まずい literally means 'bad-tasting' but here means 'unfavorable' or 'troublesome'.
これはまずい状況だ。
This is a predicament.
The speaker feels trapped, with no good options or way out.
Literally 'cannot move one's body', meaning to be stuck in a predicament with no room to maneuver. Very natural and common.
借金で身動きが取れない。
I'm in a predicament because of debt.
Means 'there's nothing that can be done', expressing a hopeless predicament. Often used when all options seem bad.
もうどうにもならない状況だ。
It's a predicament where nothing can be done.
Literally 'enter a blind alley', a metaphor for being in a predicament with no way forward. Somewhat literary.
交渉は袋小路に入った。
The negotiations reached a predicament.
The situation is not just difficult but also socially uncomfortable or shameful.
Directly means 'embarrassing situation', a common way to describe a predicament that causes shame.
彼は恥ずかしい状況に置かれた。
He was put in an embarrassing predicament.
An idiomatic phrase meaning 'feeling awkward/embarrassed', often used for a predicament where one loses face.
ばつの悪い思いをした。
I was in an awkward predicament.
Both mean 'predicament', but 苦境 (くきょう) is a broader term for a difficult situation, while 窮地 (きゅうち) emphasizes a critical, tight spot with urgency. 窮地 is often used in dramatic or life-threatening contexts.
会社は苦境に直面している。
The company is facing a predicament.
彼は窮地を脱した。
He escaped from the predicament.
The adjective 困った (こまった) meaning 'troubled' is extremely versatile for expressing predicaments in casual and polite speech. Combine it with 状況 (じょうきょう, situation) or こと (thing) for natural phrasing.
困ったことになった。
I've gotten into a predicament.
車が故障して、困った状況になった。
We found ourselves in a predicament when the car broke down.
彼の嘘が原因で苦境に立たされた。
His lie put him in a predicament.