地雷
Meanings
land mine
Literal military explosive device buried underground.
Land mines are still buried in that area.
sensitive topic; trigger; taboo subject
Colloquial metaphorical use: a topic that, if brought up, will cause a strong negative reaction or argument.
Bringing up marriage with him is a minefield.
hidden trap; pitfall; booby trap
Colloquial: something that looks good initially but turns out to be a disaster, like a bad product or deal.
This game was fun at first, but the second half was a total letdown.
Usage patterns
- 地雷を仕掛けるto plant/set a land mine
The soldiers planted land mines around the road.
- 〈事〉は地雷だthat topic is a minefield (sensitive/dangerous to bring up)
Talking about her ex-boyfriend in front of her is a minefield.
- 〈物〉が地雷だったa product/choice that turned out to be a hidden disaster
I bought it because it was cheap, but it turned out to be a total dud.
- 地雷が爆発するfor a land mine to explode
There was a sound of a land mine exploding nearby.
- 地雷を避けるto avoid a sensitive topic
I made sure to avoid that touchy subject during the meeting.
Expressions
- 地雷を踏むstep on a landmine · really step in it; screw up; open a can of worms