孤軍奮闘

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 孤軍奮闘 is read as こぐんふんとう and means struggling or fighting hard alone without support.
• Basic usage: It applies when one person copes with a staff shortage or when a protagonist fights alone until companions arrive.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Struggling alone
  • 一人で孤軍奮闘する explicitly describes making every effort without help. Example: 人手が足りず、彼は一人で孤軍奮闘した。
• Before help arrives
  • The arrival of companions at last shows that the protagonist had been fighting single-handedly until then. Example: 孤軍奮闘する主人公を仲間がようやく助けに来た。