崩壊・崩潰|ほうかいhoukai[0]heiban (flat)
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
Which spelling to use
崩壊崩壊 is the more common form and is written entirely in kanji. Beginners should normally use 崩壊.
崩潰崩潰 is a rarely used variant, also written entirely in kanji; you will seldom encounter it. Beginners should use 崩壊 instead.
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbcollapse; crumbling; breaking down; caving in
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verb, physics(radioactive) decay; disintegration
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 崩壊する（ほうかいする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 崩壊します（ほうかいします） |
| Negative (nai) | 崩壊しない（ほうかいしない） |
| polite (masen) | 崩壊しません（ほうかいしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 崩壊せず・崩壊せぬ（ほうかいせず・ほうかいせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 崩壊した（ほうかいした） |
| polite (mashita) | 崩壊しました（ほうかいしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 崩壊しなかった（ほうかいしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 崩壊しませんでした（ほうかいしませんでした） |
| Te form | 崩壊して（ほうかいして） |
| Potential | 崩壊できる（ほうかいできる） |
| Passive | 崩壊される（ほうかいされる） |
| Causative | 崩壊させる（ほうかいさせる） |
| Causative passive | 崩壊させられる（ほうかいさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 崩壊すれば（ほうかいすれば） |
| tara | 崩壊したら（ほうかいしたら） |
| Volitional | 崩壊しよう（ほうかいしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 崩壊しましょう（ほうかいしましょう） |
| Imperative | 崩壊しろ（ほうかいしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym倒壊とうかいWrittenWritten/formal prose. A building, utility pole or other structure falling down or collapsing, as in 「家屋倒壊」; 「崩壊」 also covers the collapse of systems and regimes.
- Synonym崩れ落ちるくずれおちるNeutralA verb for something crumbling and falling down, as in 「壁が崩れ落ちる」; it stresses the downward fall itself rather than the overall collapse.
- Synonym崩落ほうらくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Rock faces or ceilings caving in, or share prices plunging — narrower in scope than 「崩壊」.
- Synonym崩れ去るくずれさるNeutralA verb for crumbling away completely and vanishing, with a literary flavor, as in 「夢が崩れ去る」.
- Synonym瓦解がかいWrittenWritten/formal prose. The word for organizations or regimes falling apart, as in 「政権の瓦解」.
- Synonym決壊けっかいWrittenWritten/formal prose. A dam or levee bursting, as in 「堤防が決壊する」; figuratively tears or emotions bursting out. 「崩壊」 is a wholesale collapse.
- Synonym崩れくずれNeutralA noun for crumbling or a crumbled spot; as a suffix after a profession it marks a has-been or someone who never made it, as in 「役者崩れ」, usually derogatory.
- Synonym潰えるついえるWrittenWritten/formal prose. Dreams or plans falling through, or an army being routed in battle.
- Related全壊ぜんかいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Complete destruction of a house or building, mostly in disaster statistics; the counterpart of 「半壊」.
- Related崩れるくずれるNeutralEveryday verb: caving in, losing shape, weather turning bad, posture slumping. 「崩壊」 is a Sino-Japanese noun for a building, organization or system collapsing wholesale.
- Related陥落かんらくWrittenWritten/formal prose. A castle or city falling to an enemy, ground caving in, or a person being won over by persuasion.
- Related壊れるこわれるNeutralThe everyday word for things breaking or malfunctioning; it stresses damage to an object, while 「崩壊」 pictures a whole structure or system giving way.
- Related陥没かんぼつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Ground or road surfaces sinking in; the emphasis is on the sunken depression rather than the collapse.
- Related潰れるつぶれるNeutralBeing crushed or squashed flat, or a company going bankrupt, as in 「会社が潰れる」.
- Related全滅ぜんめつNeutralA noun for a group being wiped out to the last member, or total failure; the point is that none are spared.
- Related破壊はかいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Destroying something, by human or natural force; the focus is on what gets wrecked, while 「崩壊」 is the whole caving in and falling apart.
- Antonym構築こうちくWrittenAntonym. Written/formal prose: building up a system or framework — the opposite of collapse.
- Antonym建設けんせつNeutralAntonym. Constructing or building things — the opposite of 「崩壊」.
Use 「崩壊」 for a building, organization, order or system collapsing as a whole, as in 「学級崩壊」. For a building simply toppling, pick 「倒壊」; for an organization falling apart, 「瓦解」; for a dam or levee bursting, 「決壊」. In everyday speech 「壊れる」 covers things breaking and 「崩れる」 caving in or losing shape. 「全壊」 suits disaster reports, 「崩落」 rock or market falls, 「陥没」 sinking ground, 「潰れる」 crushed or bankrupt, 「全滅」 wiped-out groups. To build up is 「構築」 or 「建設」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
