1.
to fall into; to lapse into; to be caught in
To end up in a bad state or difficult situation. Typically used with negative conditions like panic, confusion, crisis, or traps. The subject falls into the state involuntarily.
パニックに陥った。
I fell into a panic.
会社は経営危機に陥っている。
The company has fallen into a management crisis.
睡眠不足が続くと、集中力が低下して悪循環に陥りやすい。
If sleep deprivation continues, concentration drops and it's easy to fall into a vicious cycle.
Intransitive verb. Takes the particle に to indicate the state being entered. Almost always used with negative or undesirable states.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- パニックに陥る (to fall into panic)
- 混乱に陥る (to fall into confusion)
- 危機に陥る (to fall into crisis)
- 悪循環に陥る (to fall into a vicious cycle)
- 罠に陥る (to fall into a trap)
- 苦境に陥る (to fall into difficulty)
GRAMMAR NOTE:
Pattern: ～に陥る. The に marks the state or condition that the subject falls into. Unlike 落ちる (to physically fall), 陥る is used for abstract or situational "falling."