転がり込む

• Reading: ころがりこむ
• Romaji: korogarikomu
• Kanji breakdown: 転 (ten/koro) — to roll, overturn; 込 (ko) — to press in, go into
• Pronunciation: /ko.ɾo.ɡa.ɾi.ko.mɯ/

Meaning

To roll in; to turn up unexpectedly; to crash at someone's place; to fall into one's lap. Describes uninvited arrival or a windfall.

A Group 1 (godan) compound verb (転がる + 込む). Used in two main contexts: (1) someone arriving uninvited or in a sorry state at a home to stay — 友人の家に転がり込む (to crash at a friend's place); (2) an unexpected benefit or opportunity appearing from nowhere. The latter often appears in the proverb 棚からぼたもち (a windfall falling into one's lap). Carries a casual or slightly negative nuance in the first sense.

Examples

1. 仕事を失った友人がしばらく我が家に転がり込んできた。 A friend who had lost his job crashed at my place for a while.
2. 突然、大きなビジネスチャンスが転がり込んできて驚いた。 I was surprised when a big business opportunity suddenly fell into my lap.
3. 旅の途中で知り合った人の家に転がり込む羽目になった。 I ended up crashing at the home of someone I met during my travels.

Usage Guide

Context: accommodation, unexpected events, windfalls, daily life

Tone: casual

Origin & History

Compound of 転がる (to roll, tumble) and 込む (to go into, press inside). The image is of something rolling in unexpectedly through an open door, like a ball bouncing into a room.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal