五里霧中

• 読み: ごりむちゅう
• ローマ字: gorumuchuu
• 漢字の分解: 五 (go) — five; 里 (ri) — traditional unit of distance; 霧 (mu/kiri) — fog; 中 (chuu) — inside, within
• 発音: /ɡo.ɾi.mɯ.t͡ɕɯː/

意味

Completely lost; bewildered; unable to see the way forward; in a fog.

A four-character idiom (yojijukugo) meaning to be lost in a thick fog that stretches five ri (about 20 km) in every direction — a metaphor for total disorientation. Used when a person or group has no clear idea of the situation, prospects, or correct course of action. Often used to describe both personal confusion and broader societal uncertainty.

例文

1. 突然の異動辞令に、彼はまさに五里霧中の心境だった。
2. 経済先行きは五里霧中で、専門家の見通しも分かれている。
3. プロジェクトが五里霧中の状態に陥り、チーム全体が途方に暮れた。

使い方ガイド

場面: confusion, uncertainty, journalism, personal experience

トーン: negative

起源と歴史

From a Chinese story about a Han-dynasty Taoist who could summon a five-ri fog to hide himself. The idiom entered Japanese use via classical Chinese literature, evolving into a metaphor for complete disorientation.

文化的背景

時代: Classical China → Modern Japan

世代: Adults

社会的背景: Educated