Translation guide
Covers ending a romantic relationship, dispersing a group, breaking into pieces, and more. Japanese expressions vary widely by context.
To end a romantic relationship with someone.
The most common and general verb for breaking up with a romantic partner.
I broke up with my boyfriend.
I broke up with my girlfriend last week.
To dump someone; implies one-sided rejection. Often used when the speaker is the one ending it.
A formal or dramatic term for a breakup, often used for serious relationships or engagements.
The two broke up.
To cause a group of people to separate and go their own ways.
Used for disbanding a group, meeting, or organization.
The meeting broke up at 5 p.m.
The police broke up the crowd.
For people scattering or dispersing naturally, like after an event.
To break up into scattered pieces or individuals; emphasizes disorder.
The group broke up.
To separate something into smaller parts or fragments.
To break something physically; transitive verb.
He broke up the old desk.
To break or split something like glass, eggs, or a group into parts.
To crush or smash into small pieces; often for hard objects.
To stop a fight or argument between people.
To divide something into smaller parts for organization or analysis.
To suddenly start laughing or crying intensely.
When a school term or semester finishes and students go on vacation.
When a phone or radio signal becomes intermittent.
別れる (wakareru) specifically means ending a romantic relationship. For breaking up a meeting or group, use 解散する (kaisan suru).
壊す (kowasu) is general 'break/destroy'. 割る (waru) is for splitting or cracking something like glass or a group. 砕く (kudaku) is for crushing into small pieces, like ice or rocks.
The spectators broke up after the game.
Please break the chocolate into small pieces.
Please break up the ice.
He broke up the fight.
We broke up the class into three groups.
彼女は突然泣き出した。
She suddenly broke up crying.