How to say "broken" in Japanese

• だめJLPT N4approx.Common
  na-adjective, nounCovers broken in the sense of no good or useless — something that no longer serves its purpose. The common word when a machine or appliance stops working; usually written in kana.
  去年きょねんはジョギングシューズを２足そく駄目だめにした。↗

  I wore out two pairs of jogging shoes last year.
• ブロークン
  na-adjectiveA less common loanword that is seldom the word you want for a broken object; it is really for imperfectly spoken language, most familiar in the phrase 'broken English'.
• 途切れ途切れとぎれとぎれ
  no-adjective, na-adjectiveCovers broken in the sense of intermittent: something continuous that keeps being interrupted or disconnected. Think of a phone call or internet connection that keeps cutting out, not a shattered or malfunctioning object.

Choose 「だめ」 when broken means no longer working or useless, 「途切れ途切れ」 when it means intermittent or interrupted, and remember that 「ブロークン」, a loanword chiefly for imperfectly spoken language, is seldom the word you want.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• だめno good
• ブロークンbroken
• 途切れ途切れとぎれとぎれbroken