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七花八裂 (しちかはちれつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'
being torn to pieces ; shattered completely
A yojijukugo describing something being utterly broken or torn apart, often used figuratively for plans, arguments, or physical objects. The する form means 'to tear to pieces' or 'to shatter completely'.
七しち
花か
八はち
裂れつ
に
なっ
た
。
The house was torn to pieces by the typhoon.
Kanji 八 eight, eight radical (no. 12) Similar words 粉こな 々ごな 粉々 means 'in pieces' or 'smashed to bits', focusing on the resulting state of small fragments, while 七花八裂 emphasizes the violent action of tearing or shattering into many parts.
木こ っ 端微塵ぱみじん 木っ端微塵 means 'smashed to smithereens', often with a nuance of being reduced to tiny, unrecognizable pieces, more extreme than 七花八裂.
Etymology A yojijukugo composed of 七 (seven), 花 (flower), 八 (eight), and 裂 (split/tear). The numbers seven and eight are used idiomatically to mean 'many' or 'all', and the combination suggests something being torn into many pieces like scattered flower petals. The exact origin is uncertain, but it follows a common pattern of using numbers to express completeness or multitude.
