Japanese word

砕ける

Pronunciation

Romajikudakeru

Meaning

  • verbbreak into pieces

Example

石が落ちて砕けます。ishi ga o chi te kuda ke ma su

The stone falls and breaks into pieces.

Illustration for 砕ける (break into pieces)

More examples

乾いた土は指で砕けます。kawa i ta tsuchi wa yubi de kuda ke ma su

Dry soil crumbles under my fingers.

Core concept

Describes a hard or solid thing losing its single form and becoming separate pieces, often through impact or pressure.

Common phrases

  • 粉々に砕けるkona gona ni kuda ke ru

    shatter into pieces

  • 細かく砕けるkoma ka ku kuda ke ru

    crumble into small pieces

  • 粉状に砕けるkona jō ni kuda ke ru

    crumble into powder

Similar words

割れるwareru: To split or crack into separate pieces, especially when made of a hard material.
崩れるkuzureru: To fall apart because a structure can no longer keep its shape.
壊れるkowareru: To suffer physical damage and lose its original shape or function.

Definition in Japanese

硬い物が力を受けて、細かな幾つもの部分に分かれる。kata i mono ga chikara o u ke te koma ka na iku tsu mo no bu bun ni wa ka re ru

Word origin

The native Japanese verb 砕ける (kudakeru, "to break into pieces") is historically related to くだく (kudaku, "to break into pieces"), an older native verb with the same root meaning.

Usage tips

  • In phrases such as 砕けた話し方 (kudaketa hanashikata, "an informal way of speaking"), the verb's physical sense extends to a manner that has become less rigid or formal.

Other meanings

  • crumbleverb
  • shatterverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 砕け方kudakekataway of breaking into piecesnoun
  • 砕けやすいkudakeyasuieasy to break into piecesi-adjective
  • 砕け具合kudakeguaidegree of crumblingnoun

Word lists with this word