Translation guide
The English word 'struggle' covers physical fighting, mental effort, and ongoing hardship. Japanese uses different words for each nuance.
To fight or wrestle with someone physically, often with effort and resistance.
To struggle physically, flail, or thrash about, often when restrained or in water.
He struggled in the water.
To grapple or fight hand-to-hand; implies a physical contest.
The criminal struggled with the police officer.
To scuffle or tussle; a rough, informal physical fight.
The kids were struggling with each other.
To try hard to do something difficult, often with frustration or difficulty.
To have a hard time, toil, or go through hardship; emphasizes the difficulty and effort.
He is struggling with his English studies.
To struggle hard, fight bravely; often used for striving against odds.
She is struggling against illness.
To have a desperate struggle; a stronger, more dramatic expression.
He struggled desperately with the difficult problem.
To experience continuous difficulty, often in life or a situation.
To suffer, be in pain, or have a hard time; can be physical or emotional.
He is struggling with poverty.
To have difficulties; a more formal way to describe ongoing struggles.
To be in dire distress; literally 'four sufferings, eight pains', a Buddhist term used for extreme struggle.
He is struggling terribly with debt.
To move forward or progress while encountering resistance or obstacles.
苦労する focuses on the effort and hardship of doing something, while 苦しむ emphasizes the suffering or pain experienced. Use 苦労する for 'struggling with a task' and 苦しむ for 'struggling with a condition or emotion'.
The English 'struggle' is often used lightly ('I struggle with math'), but direct translations like もがく can sound overly dramatic. Choose the verb that matches the intensity and type of difficulty.
The company is struggling with cash flow.
彼は泥沼で足掻いた。
He struggled in the mud.