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Had a bad experience in Nara with 〜目に遭う

Idiom Explanation: Having a bad experience with 〜目に遭う

Manga panel from それでも歩は寄せてくる showing example of Had a bad experience in Nara with 〜目に遭う.
それでも歩は寄せてくる » Volume 8 » Page 27

While in Nara on a class trip, Urushi and her friends stop to feed to deer. As the hungry animals completely surround Urushi, her friends discuss their schedule, ignoring Urushi’s plight. When Urushi finally returns to her group, she demands to know why no one came to her rescue.

うるし:
「まったく…　ひどい目(め)に遭(あ)ったぞ」
“Seriously… I had a terrible experience.”
「シカは恐(おそ)ろしいな…」
“Deer are scary…”
ミク:
「落(お)とし物(もの)とかしてないー？」
“Did you drop anything?”

Key Points

  1. ひどい目(め)に遭(あ)った means had a terrible experience

    • 〜目(め)に遭(あ)う means to meet with or suffer through an unpleasant experience.

    • The adjective ひどい names what kind of experience it was: awful or harsh.

  2. 目(め) is not eye in this idiom

    • In ひどい目(め), 目(め) means an experience or situation someone undergoes.

    • The deer incident is the bad thing Urushi “met with”.

  3. ぞ adds force to Urushi’s complaint

    • The ending ぞ makes the statement emphatic and assertive.

    • It fits Urushi demanding recognition after her friends failed to rescue her.

  4. シカは恐(おそ)ろしいな generalizes the lesson

    • After the idiom, Urushi sums up the experience as シカは恐(おそ)ろしい.

    • The な ending gives the line a reflective, muttered feel.