泥潭 nítán quagmire
怎么记住“泥潭”: 泥 mud + 潭 deep pool = quagmire.
汉字
用法
- Literally a mud pit, but mainly figurative for a difficult situation you can't escape - 陷入泥潭 (xiànrù nítán) to sink into a quagmire.
- Common for wars, debt, or scandals that trap someone: 战争泥潭 (zhànzhēng nítán) the quagmire of war.
- Compare 沼泽 (zhǎozé), the literal natural marsh; 泥潭 is the go-to metaphor for being bogged down.