困っている
解説 Definition
何か問題を抱えて困っている状態を示す定番フレーズで、経済的・人間関係・法的トラブルなど幅広い状況に使える。単独で使えば『困っている』『大変な状況だ』という意味になり、動詞や助動詞と組み合わせて状態を表現する。
If someone is in trouble, they are in a difficult or dangerous situation. It often means they have a problem with other people, the law, school, work, or money. It can describe both serious trouble and smaller everyday problems.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
「trouble＝問題・面倒」を知っていれば、in trouble は「問題の中にいる」で、ただ困るより一歩進んだ『まずい状況』だと覚えやすい。be in trouble は状態、get into trouble はその状態に陥る、have trouble (in) -ing は『〜するのに苦労する』と形が変わるので分けて整理すると残りやすい。子どもが怒られる、会社が資金難、警察沙汰など広く使え、serious trouble で深刻さが増す。
Think of "trouble" as a problem you are inside. If you are "in trouble," you are already in a bad situation, not just facing a small difficulty. Remember the pattern: "be in trouble" is the state, and "get into trouble" is how you enter that state.
例文
If you are in trouble, please call me right away.
困ったことがあればすぐに電話してね。
The company was in trouble after the earnings report was delayed.
決算報告が遅れて、そのあと会社は苦境に立たされた。
in trouble の類義語・関連語
in trouble の語源・成り立ち Etymology
troubleは古フランス語trubler（かき乱す）、さらにラテン語turbulare（混乱させる）に由来。語根turb-は「渦・混乱」を意味し、turbulent（荒れた）、disturb（妨げる）と同根。in troubleで「混乱の中にいる」→「困っている」。
The key word here is *trouble*, which came into English through Old French *trubler* and goes back to Latin *turbulare*, meaning "to disturb" or "to throw into confusion." It is related to the root *turb-*, seen in English words like *turbulent* and *disturb*. So *in trouble* originally suggests being "in a state of confusion," and this later developed into the wider idea of being in difficulty.
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