別れた
wakareta
To say "we broke up" in Japanese, you use 別れた (wakareta).
The phrase is used to express that a romantic relationship has ended. In Japanese, the subject (such as "we" or "they") is often omitted from the sentence when the context makes it clear that the speaker is talking about their own relationship.
What does it mean word for word?
This is the standard way to describe the end of a romantic relationship.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking politely or in formal settings, use the form 別れました. To convey that the breakup was a mutual decision, you can use the phrase お互いに別れることを決めました, meaning "we mutually decided to break up."
How do you pronounce it?
wakareta
Did you know?
- The literary phrase 袂を分かつ refers to 'dividing the sleeves' of a kimono, a vivid image of two people whose clothing no longer touches as they walk in opposite directions.
- In Japanese, the concept of 'breaking up' is often expressed using the same verb 別れる as 'parting ways' at a train station, meaning the word describes the act of physical separation rather than just the end of a romance.
- The same kanji used in 'breakup' appears in words for buildings that are physically separate from a main structure, such as 別館 for an 'annex' or 別荘 for a 'villa'.
Examples in context
- 彼女がいたんだけど、3か月前に別れたよ。I had a girlfriend, but we broke up three months ago.This sentence is useful for mentioning the timing of a breakup using 別れた.Tatoeba #12303623 by small_snow, translation #12148729 by carlosalberto
- 「トムとはまだ続いてるの？」「いや、先月初めに別れた」"Are you still dating Tom?" "No, we broke up at the beginning of last month."This example shows how to use 別れた in a conversational way to answer a question about a relationship.Tatoeba #2750710 by tommy_san, translation #2750874 by CK
- 別れちゃったよ。We broke up.
- 結局、彼とは別れたよ。kekkyoku, kare to wa wakareta yo.In the end, I broke up with him.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about relationship status at a cafe.
- 大翔 Hiroto最近、田中さんとどうしてるの？saikin, tanaka-san to dou shiteru no?How are things with Tanaka-san lately?
- 美咲 Misaki実は、先週別れたんだ。jitsu wa, senshuu wakareta nda.Actually, we broke up last week.
- 大翔 Hirotoえっ、本当？大丈夫？e, hontou? daijoubu?What, really? Are you okay?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、少し寂しいけど、もう平気。un, sukoshi sabishii kedo, mou heiki.Yeah, I'm a little lonely, but I'm fine now.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
