B2 Expression ニュートラル

in Schwierigkeiten sein

to be in trouble

意味

To be in a problematic or difficult situation.

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文化的背景

Germans value 'Direktheit' (directness). Admitting 'Ich bin in Schwierigkeiten' is seen as a professional way to flag a problem before it becomes a disaster. In Austria, you might hear 'in der Tinte sitzen' (to sit in the ink) as a more colorful, local variation of being in trouble. Swiss German speakers might use 'im Schlamassel stecken', which has Yiddish roots and is very common for describing a messy situation. In German startups, 'in Schwierigkeiten sein' is often replaced by Denglish like 'wir haben ein Issue', but the traditional phrase remains the standard for serious investor talks.

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Add Adjectives

To sound more like a native, add 'ernsthaften' (serious) or 'großen' (big) before 'Schwierigkeiten'.

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Avoid 'im'

Don't say 'im Schwierigkeiten'. It's either 'in Schwierigkeiten' (no article) or 'in den Schwierigkeiten' (rare).

意味

To be in a problematic or difficult situation.

🎯

Add Adjectives

To sound more like a native, add 'ernsthaften' (serious) or 'großen' (big) before 'Schwierigkeiten'.

⚠️

Avoid 'im'

Don't say 'im Schwierigkeiten'. It's either 'in Schwierigkeiten' (no article) or 'in den Schwierigkeiten' (rare).

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Understatement

Sometimes Germans say 'Wir haben da eine kleine Schwierigkeit' when they actually mean 'We are in a massive disaster'. Listen for the tone!

自分をテスト

Fill in the missing preposition and noun form.

Wenn du deine Steuern nicht zahlst, bist du ___ _______________.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: in Schwierigkeiten

The idiom uses 'in' (dative) and the plural 'Schwierigkeiten'.

Which sentence is the most natural for a business crisis?

Die Firma hat viele Schulden.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Die Firma ist in Schwierigkeiten.

'In Schwierigkeiten sein' is the standard neutral/formal way to describe a business crisis.

Match the phrase to the situation.

Situation: You lost your wallet in a foreign city.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Ich bin in Schwierigkeiten.

'Ich bin schwierig' means 'I am a difficult person', which is not what you want to say here!

Complete the dialogue.

A: Warum weinst du? B: Mein Chef hat mich gefeuert. Ich ___ ___ ___.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: bin in Schwierigkeiten

Use 'sein' (bin) for the state of being in trouble.

🎉 スコア: /4

ビジュアル学習ツール

Trouble Levels

Small
ein Problem haben to have a problem
Medium
in Schwierigkeiten sein to be in trouble
Severe
in Teufels Küche sein to be in devil's kitchen

練習問題バンク

4 問題
Fill in the missing preposition and noun form. Fill Blank B1

Wenn du deine Steuern nicht zahlst, bist du ___ _______________.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: in Schwierigkeiten

The idiom uses 'in' (dative) and the plural 'Schwierigkeiten'.

Which sentence is the most natural for a business crisis? Choose B2

Die Firma hat viele Schulden.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Die Firma ist in Schwierigkeiten.

'In Schwierigkeiten sein' is the standard neutral/formal way to describe a business crisis.

Match the phrase to the situation. situation_matching A2

Situation: You lost your wallet in a foreign city.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: Ich bin in Schwierigkeiten.

'Ich bin schwierig' means 'I am a difficult person', which is not what you want to say here!

Complete the dialogue. dialogue_completion B1

A: Warum weinst du? B: Mein Chef hat mich gefeuert. Ich ___ ___ ___.

✓ 正解! ✗ おしい! 正解: bin in Schwierigkeiten

Use 'sein' (bin) for the state of being in trouble.

🎉 スコア: /4

よくある質問

10 問

No, for that use 'schwierig sein'. 'Er ist schwierig' means he is hard to deal with.

Always plural: 'in Schwierigkeiten'.

'Ärger haben' implies someone is mad at you. 'In Schwierigkeiten sein' is about the situation being hard.

It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.

Yes! 'Stecken' (to be stuck) makes it sound more vivid and slightly more informal.

Use the verb 'geraten': 'Ich bin in Schwierigkeiten geraten'.

Yes, very frequently for economic or political crises.

Yes, e.g., 'Die Software ist in Schwierigkeiten' (though 'hat Probleme' is more common for tech).

'Am Arsch sein' or 'In der Scheiße stecken'. Use these only with very close friends!

Yes, 'in' + dative plural. But since there's usually no article, you only see it if you add an adjective.

関連フレーズ

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in der Klemme stecken

similar

To be in a tight spot.

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Ärger bekommen

similar

To get into trouble with someone.

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Probleme bewältigen

contrast

To overcome problems.

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aus dem Schneider sein

contrast

To be out of the woods / out of trouble.

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in Teufels Küche kommen

specialized form

To get into serious hot water.

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