引き裂く・引裂く|ひきさくhikisaku[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
引き裂く引き裂く（ひきさく） is the most common and most standard spelling of this verb. It is the form learners should normally choose in writing.
引裂く引裂く（ひきさく） is a less common spelling than 引き裂く（ひきさく）. Learners should generally choose 引き裂く（ひきさく） instead.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto tear up; to tear off; to rip up; to tear to pieces
- godan verb, transitive verbto (forcibly) separate (a couple, family, etc.); to force apart; to tear apart
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 引き裂く（ひきさく） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 引き裂きます（ひきさきます） |
| Negative (nai) | 引き裂かない（ひきさかない） |
| polite (masen) | 引き裂きません（ひきさきません） |
| classical zu / nu | 引き裂かず・引き裂かぬ（ひきさかず・ひきさかぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 引き裂いた（ひきさいた） |
| polite (mashita) | 引き裂きました（ひきさきました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 引き裂かなかった（ひきさかなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 引き裂きませんでした（ひきさきませんでした） |
| Te form | 引き裂いて（ひきさいて） |
| Potential | 引き裂ける（ひきさける） |
| Passive | 引き裂かれる（ひきさかれる） |
| Causative | 引き裂かせる（ひきさかせる） |
| Causative passive | 引き裂かせられる・引き裂かされる（ひきさかせられる・ひきさかされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 引き裂けば（ひきさけば） |
| tara | 引き裂いたら（ひきさいたら） |
| Volitional | 引き裂こう（ひきさこう） |
| polite (mashou) | 引き裂きましょう（ひきさきましょう） |
| Imperative | 引き裂け（ひきさけ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- SynonymちぎるNeutralTears into small pieces by hand; also picking fruit. The action is finer, and it is not used for splitting up loved ones.
- Synonym引き離すひきはなすNeutralPulls apart things that are close together, or opens up a lead in a race; not about tearing.
- Synonym破るやぶるNeutralRead 「わる」: splits or smashes hard objects with force, as in 「皿を割る」; also used for division in math. 「引き裂く」 mostly takes paper or cloth.
- Synonym引きちぎるひきちぎるNeutralPulls hard to tear something off or into two pieces; 「引き裂く」 tears open along the material or into pieces.
- Synonym引き破るひきやぶるNeutralVery close to 「引き裂く」 for forcefully ripping paper or cloth, but rare and without the extended sense of splitting up people.
- Synonym打っ裂くぶっさくCasualColloquial: tears something open with brute force; heavier colloquial flavor and rougher in tone than 「引き裂く」.
- Related引き分けるひきわけるNeutralPulls apart people locked together, or means a tied game; no sense of tearing.
- Relatedむしり取るむしりとるNeutralPlucks or strips off in handfuls, like pulling weeds or plucking hair; also forcibly snatching money or valuables.
- Related引き剥がすひきはがすNeutralForcibly tears off things that are stuck or pasted on; stresses peeling away rather than ripping.
- Related引き放つひきはなつWrittenWritten style: forcefully pulls apart things joined together; rare, and does not stress tearing.
- RelatedつんざくWrittenWritten: a sound or lightning rending the silence, as in 「耳をつんざく」; mostly figurative, rarely for physical objects.
- Related剥ぎ取るはぎとるNeutralStrips off clothes or deprives someone of power or status; stresses taking away, not tearing something open.
- Related引っ剥ぐひっぱぐCasualColloquial: roughly rips or strips something off; rare in everyday use. For tearing paper or cloth, use 「引き裂く」.
- Related引っぺがすひっぱがすCasualColloquial: forcefully peels off things stuck on a surface; stresses prying them loose, not shredding them.
- AntonymつなぐNeutralAntonym: ties or links things together; the opposite of 「引き裂く」 tearing apart and splitting up.
- Antonym接着するNeutralAntonym: bonds things together with glue; the opposite of 「引き裂く」 tearing things apart.
Use 「引き裂く」 for tearing paper or cloth and for splitting up couples or families. For tearing into small pieces, pick 「千切る」; for tearing something off or in two, 「引きちぎる」; for peeling off stuck things, 「引き剥がす」. The rest are rarer, colloquial, or written words, or mean pulling apart without tearing.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
See also
