How to say "fragment" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 半端はんぱnoun, na-adjectiveCovers the remnant and incomplete-set senses rather than a physical broken piece: it points to something left over, odd, or not whole. Rarely the word you want for a physical fragment.
- nounA small piece chipped or broken off something, such as glass or pottery; it is normally written in kana. Fits a shard you might pick up from a broken cup.
- 破片はへんnounA concrete broken piece: debris from something shattered, smashed, or blown apart, such as glass shards or splinters. Choose this for the physical wreckage sense of 'fragment'.
- 断片だんぺんnounThe word for abstract fragments: scraps of information, memory, or text rather than physical debris. It can also denote a physical piece, but its core sense is a disconnected part of a whole.
- 切れ端きれはしnounA piece cut or torn off something — a scrap of cloth or paper, the cut-off end of a strip. Use it when the fragment results from cutting rather than from something smashing.
Use 破片 or 「かけら」 for physical broken pieces, 「切れ端」 for pieces cut or torn off, 断片 for abstract fragments of information or memory, and 半端 only for leftovers or incompleteness.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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