How to say "rip" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 破るやぶるgodan verb, transitive verbThe transitive verb: you rip or tear something such as paper or cloth. It also covers breaking and destroying, so it is the natural choice when someone actively rips something.
- 破れるやぶれるichidan verb, intransitive verbThe intransitive counterpart of 破る: the paper, cloth, or other material rips or gets torn, whether through someone's action or on its own. Use this when the thing torn is the subject.
- 裂け目さけめnounA noun for the tear, rip, or split itself — the opening or crack in a surface or material. Use it to name the rip rather than to describe the act of ripping.
- 割るわるgodan verb, transitive verbThis verb means to cut, halve, or split something into pieces; it is about dividing an object rather than tearing it, and is seldom the word you want for the ripping sense of 'rip'.
Use 「破る」 for ripping something and 「破れる」 for something getting torn; 「裂け目」 names the tear or split itself as a noun; 「割る」 means to split or divide and is rarely the right choice for 'rip'.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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