彼は自分の前にどんな障害が立ちふさがっているのか知ろうと努めた。

Sentence Analyzer

English Translation

He tried to find out what he was up against.

Furigana

彼(かれ)は自分(じぶん)の前(まえ)にどんな障害(しょうがい)が立(た)ちふさがっているのか知(し)ろうと努(つと)めた。

Romanji

Kare wa jibun no mae ni donna shōgai ga tachifusagatteiru no ka shirou to tsutometa.

Words

彼 (かれ)

he; him; his; boyfriend

は (は)

topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis

自分 (じぶん)

myself; yourself; oneself; himself; herself; I; me; you

の (の)

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

前 (まえ)

ago; before (some event); previously; (minutes) to (the hour); in front (of); before (e.g. the house); head (of a line); front (e.g. of a bus); fore part; in the presence of; helping; portion; privates; private parts

に (に)

at (place, time); in; on; during; to (direction, state); toward; into; for (purpose); because of (reason); for; with; by; from; as (i.e. in the role of); per; in; for; a (e.g. "once a month"); and; in addition to; if; although

どんな (どんな)

what; what kind of; (with -temo, demo, etc.) any(body, thing, means, etc.)

障害 (しょうがい、しょうげ)

obstacle; impediment; hindrance; difficulty; barrier; handicap; impairment; disability; disorder; malfunction

が (が)

indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and

立塞がる (たちふさがる)

to stand in one's way

か (か)

indicates a question (sometimes rhetorical); or; whether or not; some- (e.g. something, someone); indicates doubt, uncertainty, etc.; emphatic prefix; suffix forming adjectives or adverbs; in that way

知る (しる)

to be aware of; to know; to be conscious of; to cognize; to cognise; to notice; to feel; to understand; to comprehend; to grasp; to remember; to be acquainted with (a procedure); to experience; to go through; to learn; to be acquainted with (a person); to get to know; to concern

と (と)

if; when; and; with; particle used for quoting (with speech, thoughts, etc.); quoting particle; promoted pawn; indicates question (sentence end)

努める (つとめる)

to endeavor (endeavour); to try; to strive; to make an effort; to exert oneself; to be diligent; to be committed (to doing something)