How do you say "break" in Japanese?

壊す

kowasu

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "break" is 壊す (kowasu).

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Pronunciation

Ko-wa-su, three syllables with a soft rolling 'wa' in the middle, nothing like the harsh English 'break'.

Writing and usage

壊す is written using kanji. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

ガラスは簡単に割れます。

garasu ha kantan ni ware masu.

Glass can break easily.

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How to remember 壊す

Kowasu sounds like 'code, sue' — break the code of conduct and someone will sue you.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 壊す

How do you pronounce 壊す?

Ko-wa-su, three syllables with a soft rolling 'wa' in the middle, nothing like the harsh English 'break'.

Is 壊す formal or casual?

壊す is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 壊す written in Japanese?

壊す is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as kowasu.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Break" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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