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思う壺にはまる (おもうつぼにはまる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-ru)
to turn out just as one wished ; to play into one's hands
idiomatic expression
Idiomatic expression meaning that a situation develops exactly as someone (often with ill intent) planned, or that someone falls neatly into a trap. The subject is typically the situation or the person who is being manipulated.
に
乗の
っ
たら
相あい
手て
の
思おも
う
壺つぼ
に
はまる
。
If you take the bait, you'll be playing right into their hands.
Written forms 思おも う 壺つぼ にはまる
Standard kanji spelling using 壺 (pot/jar).
思おも うつぼにはまる
Kana spelling of 壺; common in casual writing.
思おも うツボにはまる
Katakana spelling of 壺; often used for emphasis or in informal contexts.
思おも う 壺つぼ に 嵌はま る
Uses the less common kanji 嵌る for はまる.
Similar words 思おも 惑わく 通どお り 思惑通り means 'as expected' or 'according to plan' in a neutral sense, while 思う壺にはまる often carries a nuance of falling into a trap or someone else's scheme.
してやられる してやられる means 'to be outwitted' or 'to be had', focusing on the victim's perspective. 思う壺にはまる can describe both the schemer's success and the victim's predicament.
Etymology The phrase combines 思う (to think) and 壺 (pot/jar) with はまる (to fit into). The image is of something fitting perfectly into a pot, metaphorically meaning a situation fits someone's expectations or scheme. The exact origin is uncertain, but it has been used idiomatically since at least the Edo period.
