切り離す
kirihanasu[kʲiɾʲiha̠na̠sɨ]
The English phrase 'isolate' can be translated into Japanese using 切り離す (kirihanasu). Wiktionary also lists 隔絶する (kakuzetsu suru) and 孤立させる (koritsu saseru).
Meaning: transitive: to set apart or cut off from others (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 切り離す | kirihanasu | [kʲiɾʲiha̠na̠sɨ] (narrow) |
| 隔絶する | kakuzetsu suru | |
| 孤立させる | koritsu saseru |
The term 'isolate' in Japanese refers to the act of setting something or someone apart or cutting them off from others.
Which one should you use?
孤立させる is used when referring to social or psychological isolation, such as isolating a person from a group. 隔絶する is a more formal and strong term used to describe a complete or profound isolation or separation, often used for distances, differences in status or being cut off from the world.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 孤立させる is the causative form of the intransitive verb 孤立する (koritsu suru, to be isolated), meaning 'to make (someone) isolated'.
How do you pronounce it?
kirihanasu
Did you know?
- The term 村八分 (murahachibu) literally means 'eight tenths of the village', referring to a historical practice where a person was isolated from all community help except for fire and funeral rites.
- In a technical context, 切り離す is the specific verb used when a train car is physically detached from the rest of the train.
- While 孤立させる is used for social isolation, the word 隔離 (kakuri) is the standard term used in hospitals for the isolation of contagious patients.
Examples in context
- この経済危機によって一部の国が孤立しています。Some countries are being isolated due to this economic crisis.
- その政治家は訴えられる前に自らを孤立させた。The politician isolated himself before being accused.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “isolate” translations and entries 切り離す, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
