Word
引っ掛かる
Meaning in Englishto be caught in, to be stuck in
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 引っ掛かる mean? It describes the act of something catching or snagging on a surface, causing it to stop or slow, and it can also describe figurative obstacles or concerns that impede progress or smooth handling of a situation.
Main meanings
- physical snag: something becomes caught on a protrusion or obstacle, causing it to stop or hinder movement
- obstacle or delay in a process or plan: a snag that slows or complicates progress
- being hung up on a point or issue: fixating on a particular topic during a discussion
How to use it
Used in everyday Japanese to describe both physical tangling (物が引っ掛かる) and abstract hindrances (その点に引っ掛かる); common in spoken language; in formal writing people may use more precise terms for snag or obstruction; the phrase commonly takes に to indicate where the snag occurs and が for the subject that gets snagged.
Variants and close terms
- ひっかかる (hikkakaru) — same meaning in kana form
- ひっかける (hikkakeru) — to hook or hang something (transitive)
- 気にかかる (ki ni kakaru) — to be concerned about, on one’s mind
- 外れる (hazureru) — to come off or be detached (antonym)
- 離れる (hanareru) — to separate or move away (antonym)
Composition
- 引: to pull, draw toward; in this compound it contributes the sense of an action that leads to snagging
- 掛: to hang, to be attached; when combined with かる, it conveys the notion of something being caught or snagged
- っ: small tsu indicating a brief stop or gemination which visually cues the snag
- る: verb ending forming the intransitive verb
Word class
verb (godan) (動詞/五段)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
心掛け
kokorogake
readiness, intention, aim
N1
心掛ける
kokorogakeru
to bear in mind, to aim to do
N1
差し掛かる
sashikakaru
to come near to, to approach
N1
仕掛
shikake
device, trick, mechanism
N1
仕掛ける
shikakeru
to lay, to set, to wage
N1
取引
torihiki
transactions, dealings, business
N1
値引き
nebiki
price reduction, discount
N1
掛～
kake～
credit
N1
～掛け
～kake
rack, hanger
Kanji