Translation guide
The English word 'tangle' can refer to a messy mass of something (like hair or wires), a confused state, or a conflict. This guide helps you choose the right Japanese expression depending on whether you mean a physical tangle, a mental tangle, or getting involved in something complicated.
Describing something that is twisted together in a messy way, like hair, string, cables, or branches.
A noun meaning a tangle or entanglement. Commonly used for hair, threads, ropes, etc. Also used metaphorically for complicated situations.
髪のもつれをとかす。
I comb out the tangles in my hair.
コードのもつれをほどく。
I untangle the cord.
A noun meaning a tangle or entanglement, often emphasizing the state of being caught or intertwined. Slightly more casual than もつれ.
釣り糸の絡まりを直す。
I fix the tangle in the fishing line.
A colloquial noun for a tangle, often used for things like hair or string that are messily tangled. Has a slightly childish or informal feel.
髪がこんがらがりになっている。
My hair is all tangled up.
Describing the action of something getting tangled or twisted.
Intransitive verb meaning to get tangled, to become entangled. Used for hair, threads, relationships, etc.
髪がもつれて、ブラシが通らない。
My hair got tangled and the brush won't go through.
Intransitive verb meaning to get tangled, to be entwined. Often used for things wrapping around each other.
Describing the action of causing something to become tangled.
Transitive form of もつれる, meaning to cause to tangle. Less common than the intransitive, but clear.
風が髪をもつれさせた。
The wind tangled my hair.
Transitive form of 絡まる, meaning to entangle or intertwine.
猫が毛糸を絡ませた。
The cat tangled the yarn.
Describing a state of confusion, mixed-up thoughts, or a complicated situation.
A general word for confusion, disorder, or chaos. Can be used for mental confusion or a tangled situation.
頭の中が混乱している。
My mind is in a tangle.
A more formal word meaning complication or entanglement, often used for complex situations or information.
Also used metaphorically for emotional or relational tangles.
感情のもつれから喧嘩になった。
A tangle of emotions led to a fight.
Describing becoming entangled in a difficult or troublesome matter.
Passive form of 巻き込む, meaning to be dragged into or caught up in something, often trouble.
トラブルに巻き込まれた。
I got tangled up in trouble.
An idiomatic phrase meaning to get involved in something, often with a nuance of stepping into a messy situation.
変な事件に足を突っ込んでしまった。
I got tangled up in a weird incident.
糸が絡まってしまった。
The thread got all tangled up.
Colloquial intransitive verb meaning to get tangled or messed up. Often used for hair, string, or plans.
話がこんがらがってきた。
The story is getting tangled up.
情報が錯綜している。
The information is all tangled up.