break, destroy

About this kanji

The kanji 壊 means to break or destroy. It's used for both verbs and nouns. For example, 壊れる (こわれる) means "to break" in the passive sense, like when something gets damaged on its own, while 壊す (こわす) means "to break" in the active sense, as when you intentionally break something. Another compound is 壊滅 (かいめつ), which means "destruction," often used in more serious contexts like disasters. You might also come across 崩壊 (ほうかい), meaning "collapse," used in both physical and metaphorical contexts. When using this kanji, remember that it often conveys a sense of something being irreparably harmed.

Built from

Example sentences

• このテーブルは壊れています。

  This table is broken.

Meanings across languages

English

break, destroy

Tiếng Việt

phá hủy, bị hỏng

日本語

壊す, 壊れる

한국어

부수다

中文

破坏

id

memecahkan

th

ทำลาย

es

romper

fr

briser

de

brechen

pt

quebrar

Common compounds

• 壊れるこわれるto break, to be broken
• 壊すこわすto break, to destroy
• 壊滅かいめつdestruction, devastation
• 崩壊ほうかいcollapse, fall apart