崩
crumble, die, demolish, level
Readings
On'yomi
- ホウ
Kun'yomi
- くず.れる
- -くず.れ
- くず.す
Meaning
崩 centers on structural failure and collapse: something crumbles, breaks down, or is demolished. The sense of dying is a metaphorical extension of a person's body or health giving way.
Most common words using 崩
20 of 87- 崩壊ほうかいN1
collapse; crumbling; breaking down; caving in
- 崩すくずすN3
to destroy; to demolish; to pull down; to tear down; to level
- 崩れくずれN2
crumbling; collapse; ruin
- 崩れるくずれるN3
to collapse; to crumble
- 土砂崩れどしゃくずれN2
landslide
- 雪崩なだれN1
avalanche; snowslide
- 崩落ほうらく
collapse; break; cave-in; crash
- 崩れ落ちるくずれおちる
to crumble down; to tumble down; to fall in
- 崩御ほうぎょ
death (of an emperor); demise
- なし崩しなしくずし
paying back in installments (instalments); amortization plan (amortisation)
- 総崩れそうくずれ
rout; collapse
- 泣き崩れるなきくずれる
to break down crying
- 値崩れねくずれ
price collapse
- 切り崩すきりくずす
to level (earth); to cut through (a mountain)
- 山崩れやまくずれ
landslide
- 取り崩すとりくずす
to demolish; to tear down; to pull down
- 崩れ去るくずれさる
to crumble away; to collapse
- 突き崩すつきくずす
to knock down; to tear down; to level; to raze
- 崖崩れがけくずれN2
landslide; landslip
- α崩壊アルファほうかい
alpha decay
Study
Etymology
崩 combines 山 (mountain) and 朋, which likely contributes the sound. The idea is of a mountain collapsing or crumbling.
Meaning mnemonic
A mountain 山 with two moons 朋 underneath: imagine the weight of twin moons pressing down until the mountain crumbles and collapses.
Reading mnemonic
For ホウ, picture a crumbling mountain letting out a loud howl: howl -> ホウ, as the mountain breaks apart.