壊れた
kowareta
The English word "broken" is translated into Japanese as 壊れた (kowareta).
壊れた is used to describe objects that are physically damaged or no longer function, such as electronics or machinery. It is intended for mechanical or physical objects. Do not use this word for abstract concepts like a broken heart or a broken promise. Instead, you would use terms like 傷ついた or 破れた.
Meaning: not working properly (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
壊れた is the past tense of the intransitive verb 壊れる, which is used to describe something that has become broken.
How do you pronounce it?
kowareta
Did you know?
- When a promise is 'broken', Japanese uses 破る, which literally means 'to tear' as if the promise were a piece of paper.
- If a person's spirit is 'broken', Japanese speakers often use the word 折れた, which literally means 'snapped' like a dry twig.
- The verb 壊れる is intransitive, meaning it describes a state. To say you accidentally broke something yourself, you must switch to the transitive verb 壊す.
Examples in context
- 何か壊れたの？Is anything broken?This sentence is useful for asking if anything is broken.Tatoeba #8719335 by bunbuku, translation #2248430 by CK
- オーブンが壊れた。The oven is broken.This sentence is useful for stating that an oven is broken.Tatoeba #12976252 by small_snow, translation #12368119 by rul
- 父は壊れたいすを修理した。My father fixed a broken chair.This sentence is useful for describing a father fixing a broken chair.Tatoeba #84622 by bunbuku, translation #319092 by CK
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Misaki are in the living room.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲、この時計、壊れたみたいだよ。Misaki, kono tokei, kowareta mitai da yo.Misaki, it looks like this clock is broken.
- 美咲 Misakiえっ、本当に？電池がないだけじゃない？E, hontō ni? Denchi ga nai dake janai?What, really? Maybe it's just out of batteries?
- 大翔 Hirotoいいえ、完全に壊れたと思う。Iie, kanzen ni kowareta to omou.No, I think it's completely broken.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、新しいのを買いに行こう。Jaa, atarashii no o kai ni ikō.Well, let's go buy a new one.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
