Translation guide
The English verb 'shatter' describes breaking something into many small pieces, often violently or suddenly. It can also mean destroying hopes, dreams, or silence. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for physical shattering and metaphorical uses.
To describe something like glass, pottery, or a hard object breaking violently into many small fragments.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to break, to be broken'. Used for brittle objects like glass, plates, eggs. Focuses on the result of breaking into pieces.
窓ガラスが粉々に割れた。
The window glass shattered into tiny pieces.
落としたらコップが割れた。
The cup shattered when I dropped it.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to break into pieces, to be crushed, to be shattered'. Often implies breaking into smaller fragments than 割れる, sometimes with force.
岩が砕けて砂になった。
The rock shattered into sand.
花瓶が床に落ちて砕けた。
The vase fell on the floor and shattered.
Phrase meaning 'to be smashed to pieces, to be shattered into bits'. Emphasizes the completeness of the destruction.
車がトラックと衝突して粉々になった。
The car collided with a truck and was shattered to pieces.
Transitive verb meaning 'to pulverize, to smash to pieces'. Often used in technical or violent contexts.
機械が石を粉砕する。
The machine shatters the stones.
To describe the sudden and complete destruction of abstract things like hopes, dreams, confidence, or an illusion.
Transitive verb meaning 'to shatter, to crush, to dash'. Commonly used with hopes, dreams, illusions.
その知らせは彼の希望を打ち砕いた。
The news shattered his hopes.
現実が彼女の夢を打ち砕いた。
Reality shattered her dreams.
Transitive verb meaning 'to break, to crush, to shatter'. Can be used metaphorically for abstract things.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to collapse, to crumble'. Used when hopes or plans fall apart.
To describe a sudden loud noise that breaks a quiet atmosphere.
Phrase meaning 'to break the silence'. Natural way to say a loud noise shattered the quiet.
銃声が静寂を破った。
A gunshot shattered the silence.
Similar to 静寂を破る, but slightly more emphatic.
突然の叫び声が静けさを打ち破った。
A sudden scream shattered the quiet.
To break a record by a large margin or in a spectacular way.
Phrase meaning 'to smash a record'. Used in sports and other competitive contexts.
彼は世界記録を打ち破った。
He shattered the world record.
Phrase meaning 'to rewrite the record', implying a significant improvement.
新記録が従来の記録を塗り替えた。
The new record shattered the previous one.
割れる is the most common word for brittle objects breaking into pieces, like glass or pottery. 砕ける implies breaking into smaller fragments, often with more force, and can be used for rocks, bones, or abstract things. For glass shattering, 割れる is usually sufficient; 砕ける emphasizes the violence or completeness.
Avoid directly translating 'shatter' as 粉砕する in everyday conversation; it sounds technical or violent. Use 割れる or 砕ける for physical breaking, and 打ち砕く for metaphorical shattering.
His words shattered my confidence.
彼の計画は一瞬で崩れた。
His plans shattered in an instant.