縺れる

• Reading: もつれる
• Romaji: motureru
• Kanji breakdown: 縺 (motsu/ren) — to tangle, get entangled
• Pronunciation: /mo.tsɯ.ɾe.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To get tangled; to become entangled; to get knotted up. Used for threads, hair, or figuratively for relationships and situations.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb. Often written in hiragana as もつれる. Used literally for thread, yarn, or hair becoming tangled, and figuratively for situations, relationships, or speech becoming confused or complicated. 舌がもつれる means to stumble over one's words.

Examples

1. イヤホンのコードがいつもカバンの中でもつれる。 My earphone cord always gets tangled up inside my bag.
2. 緊張して舌がもつれてしまい、うまく話せなかった。 I got nervous and tripped over my words, unable to speak smoothly.
3. 遺産相続をめぐって親族関係がもつれている。 Family relationships have gotten complicated over the inheritance dispute.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, relationships, speech

Tone: descriptive

Origin & History

From classical Japanese. The kanji 縺 contains the thread radical 糸, reflecting the original meaning of threads becoming entangled.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal