かち割わる

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

hit and break open; smash; crush

colloquial

Colloquial verb for striking something hard to break it open, such as ice, nuts, or a hard shell. Often implies a forceful, decisive action.

冷れい凍とう庫こから出だした氷こおりをかち割わって、グラスに入いれた。
I smashed the ice from the freezer and put it in the glass.

クルミを金かなづちでかち割わる。

I crack walnuts open with a hammer.

Written forms

かち割わるUsage70%
Standard mixed kanji-kana spelling; the kanji 割る is common, while かち is usually written in kana.
カチ割わるUsage20%
Katakana variant of the first part, sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
かちわるUsage10%
搗かち割わる
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form using 搗; it is rarely used.

Kanji

割proportion, comparatively, divide
搗pound, husk

Similar words

割わる
割る is a general verb for breaking, splitting, or dividing; かち割る adds the nuance of hitting hard to break open, and is more colloquial.
砕くだく
砕く means to crush or smash into small pieces; かち割る focuses on breaking something open with a sharp impact, often leaving larger pieces.

Etymology

Compound of the onomatopoeic prefix かち (representing a hard, sharp sound) and 割る (to break, split). The exact origin of かち is uncertain, but it likely mimics the sound of striking or cracking.