1.
predicament, bind, unfortunate situation
An undesirable situation or outcome that someone ends up in, typically as a result of their own actions or circumstances beyond their control. Almost always used in the pattern 〜する羽目になる.
電車に乗り遅れて、歩く羽目になった。
I missed the train and ended up having to walk.
約束を忘れて、謝る羽目になった。
I forgot my promise and ended up having to apologize.
安いからと飛びついたら、修理代で余計に払う羽目になった。
I jumped at it because it was cheap, but ended up paying even more in repair costs.
USAGE:
羽目 is almost exclusively used in the pattern 〜する羽目になる (to end up having to ~), expressing an undesirable outcome. It always carries a negative nuance — the speaker did not want this result.
KEY PATTERN:
- verb (dictionary form) + 羽目になる (to end up having to ~)
- 払う羽目になる (to end up having to pay)
- 待つ羽目になる (to end up having to wait)
- やり直す羽目になる (to end up having to redo it)
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- 〜する羽目になる: emphasizes the undesirable result
- 〜するはめになる: same meaning (sometimes written without kanji)
- 〜ざるを得ない: "have no choice but to" (more formal, less focus on misfortune)