Word
引っ掛かる
Meaning in Englishto be caught in, to be stuck in
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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)
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