Japanese word

突破

Pronunciation

Romajitoppa

Meaning

  • nounpass

Example

私たちは予選を突破しました。watashi ta chi wa yo sen o top pa shi ma shi ta

We passed the preliminaries.

Illustration for 突破 (pass)

More examples

彼女は厳しい面接を突破して、希望の会社に入社しました。kano jo wa kibi shi i men setsu o top pa shi te ki bō no gai sha ni nyū sha shi ma shi ta

She passed a tough interview and joined the company she wanted to work for.

Core concept

Expresses the act of forcing a way past an obstacle or the success of getting beyond a difficult limit.

Common phrases

  • 予選を突破yo sen o top pa

    pass the preliminaries

  • 難関を突破nan kan o top pa

    clear a difficult hurdle

Similar words

通過tsūka: The act of going past a place, stage, or checkpoint.
合格gōkaku: The result of meeting the requirements of an exam, screening, or selection.
クリアkuria: The act of successfully completing a task, stage, or requirement.

Definition in Japanese

障害や難関を乗り越えて、その先へ進むこと。shō gai ya nan kan o no ri ko e te so no saki e susu mu ko to

Word origin

突破 (toppa, "breaking through") is formed from 突 (totsu, "thrust") and 破 (ha, "break") in Sino-Japanese vocabulary, with the compound form showing the regular change from totsu-ha to toppa.

Usage tips

  • Unlike the English verb pass, 突破する (toppa suru) often suggests overcoming a barrier or difficult stage rather than merely going through it.

Other meanings

  • breakthroughnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word