ブレイク
Bureiku
In Japanese, the phrase "blake" refers to a sudden increase in popularity or a major professional breakthrough, expressed as ブレイク (Bureiku).
You can turn this noun into a verb by adding the verb する to form ブレイクする, which means to make a breakthrough or to become a hit. To describe someone who has already achieved this status, you can use the past tense form ブレイクした, meaning they have made a breakthrough or became a hit.
How do you pronounce it?
Bureiku
Did you know?
- Because ブレイク can refer to a trend, a Japanese person might describe a viral food or gadget as having ブレイクした, treating the object as if it were a celebrity.
- While the spelling suggests the English name 'Blake', the Japanese pronunciation ブレイク actually comes from the English word 'break', as in 'to break through' into fame.
- If you use ブレイク to describe a person, it often implies they reached sudden fame through a specific media event or a viral moment, rather than long-term hard work.
Examples in context
- ブレイクさん、はじめまして。Nice to meet you, Blake.
- 彼は一気にブレイクした。Kare wa ikki ni bureiku shita.He made a sudden breakthrough.
- 新しい歌手がブレイクしている。Atarashii kashu ga bureiku shite iru.A new singer is becoming very popular.
- 彼女のブレイクは驚異的だ。Kanojo no bureiku wa kyouiteki da.Her sudden rise to fame is amazing.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a musician on the radio.
- 大翔 Hirotoあの歌手、最近ブレイクしたね。Ano kashu, saikin bureiku shita ne.That singer has become very popular recently, hasn't she?
- 結衣 Yui本当に、急に有名になったね。Hontou ni, kyuu ni yuumei ni natta ne.She really became famous suddenly.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣も彼女の曲を聴いた？Yui mo kanojo no kyoku o kiita?Yui, have you heard her songs too?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、とてもいい曲だよ。Un, totemo ii kyoku da yo.Yes, they are very good songs.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ブレイク, CC BY-SA 4.0.
