Japanese word

潰れる

Pronunciation

Romajitsubureru

Meaning

  • verbcollapse

Example

地震で古い建物が潰れます。ji shin de furu i tate mono ga tsubu re ma su

An old building collapses in an earthquake.

Illustration for 潰れる (collapse)

More examples

競争に負けて、その店は潰れました。kyō sō ni ma ke te so no mise wa tsubu re ma shi ta

That store went out of business after losing the competition.

Core concept

Describes something losing its shape, support, or ability to continue under pressure, from a building being crushed to a business failing.

Common phrases

  • 店が潰れるmise ga tsubu re ru

    a store goes out of business

  • 会社が潰れるkai sha ga tsubu re ru

    a company goes out of business

  • 空き缶が潰れるa ki kan ga tsubu re ru

    an empty can gets crushed

Similar words

崩れるkuzureru: A structure loses its stability and falls apart.
倒れるtaoreru: A standing object falls over, or an organization loses the strength to continue.
破綻するhatansuru: A plan, system, or relationship stops functioning because its basis fails.
立ち消えるtachigieru: A plan, proposal, or discussion ends without reaching a result.

Definition in Japanese

力や圧力を受けて形や機能を失うこと、また、事業などが成り立たなくなること。chikara ya atsu ryoku o u ke te katachi ya ki nō o ushina u ko to ma ta ji gyō na do ga na ri ta ta na ku na ru ko to

Word origin

潰れる (tsubureru) is a native Japanese verb recorded in the older form 潰る (tsuburu), with the sense "to be crushed or collapse"; 潰す (tsubusu, "to crush") is its related transitive form.

Usage tips

  • In casual speech, 潰れる (tsubureru) can describe a plan or deal that falls through, so its subject need not be a physical object.

Other meanings

  • be crushedverb
  • go out of businessverb

Word lists with this word