打ち砕く
uchikudaku[ɯ̟t͡ɕikɯ̟da̠kɯ̟]
To smash in Japanese is 打ち砕く (uchikudaku).
打ち砕く means to break something into many small pieces with a strong blow. While it can refer to physical smashing, it is frequently used metaphorically to describe crushing someone's hopes, dreams or illusions.
Which one should you use?
粉々にする is used to emphasize an object being smashed into tiny pieces. 叩き壊す describes forcefully smashing or breaking something. In contrast, ぶっ壊す is an informal verb used to describe forcefully breaking or smashing something.
How do you pronounce it?
uchikudaku
Did you know?
- When talking about smashing a record or a limit, Japanese often uses 更新する (koushin suru) instead of a word meaning 'to smash', as 'smash' in English has a unique sports-idiom usage.
- If you use the informal ぶっ壊す (bukkowasu) in a formal business setting, you might be perceived as being incredibly aggressive or even threatening, as it implies a violent, mindless destruction.
- While 打ち砕く focuses on the act of smashing, the phrase 粉々にする literally means 'to make into powder', reflecting a Japanese linguistic tendency to describe the end state of an object.
Examples in context
- 岩をハンマーで粉々にした。I smashed the rock into tiny pieces with a hammer.
- 彼は怒りでテーブルを叩き壊した。He smashed the table in anger.
- ゲームのコントローラーをぶっ壊しちゃった。I accidentally smashed the game controller.
- ガラスが踏まれてこなごなになった。The glass was stepped on and smashed into tiny pieces.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 打ち砕く, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
