Translation guide
The English word "fracture" can refer to a broken bone, a crack in a hard material, or the act of breaking something. This guide covers how to express these meanings naturally in Japanese, focusing on medical, everyday, and technical contexts.
To refer to a broken bone, as in a medical condition or injury.
The standard medical and everyday term for a bone fracture. Can be used as a noun or with する to mean 'to fracture a bone'.
He fractured his leg skiing.
Treatment for a fracture takes time.
Refers to a hairline fracture or crack in a bone, less severe than a full break. Often used in casual contexts.
I fell and got a hairline fracture in my rib.
A common phrase meaning 'to break a bone'. Literally 'bone breaks'. Used for accidental fractures.
I fell and fractured my wrist.
To describe a crack or break in materials like glass, metal, rock, or plastic.
A crack or fissure in a solid object. Often used in technical or descriptive contexts.
There is a crack in the wall.
The earthquake caused fractures in the road.
A crack, split, or fissure. More general than 亀裂 and can be used for everyday objects.
Damage or breakage, often used in formal or technical reports. Implies something is broken or damaged.
To describe the action of causing a fracture or break.
To break something long and slender, like a bone, stick, or pencil. Transitive verb.
He fractured the tree branch.
To smash or crush something into pieces. Used for hard materials like rocks or ice.
To split or break something into parts, like glass, eggs, or a watermelon. Transitive verb.
骨折 (kossetsu) is the general medical term for a bone fracture, ranging from a crack to a complete break. ひび (hibi) specifically refers to a hairline crack or fissure, often less severe. In casual conversation, people might say ひびが入った (hibi ga haitta) for a minor fracture, but a doctor would use 骨折.
The doctor said, 'It's a fracture.'
They found a hairline fracture on the X-ray.
English often uses 'fracture' as a verb (e.g., 'He fractured his arm'), but Japanese typically uses the noun 骨折 with する (kossetsu suru) or the intransitive phrase 骨が折れる (hone ga oreru). Using a direct transitive verb like 骨折する is acceptable but less common than the noun form.
The X-ray showed a fracture in his left leg.
She suffered a skull fracture in the accident.
There is a fracture in the pipe.
A crack formed in the cup.
The accident was caused by a fracture in the machinery.
He fractured the rock with a hammer.
I fractured the window glass.
His arm bone fractured. (also natural)