破壊

hakai
nounIntermediate
general

The act of destroying or damaging something, often violently or completely.

戦争は多くの町を破壊した。

The war destroyed many towns.

彼は自分のノートパソコンを破壊した。

He destroyed his own laptop.

💡

Can refer to physical destruction or metaphorical ruin (e.g., relationships, reputations).

Collocations

破壊活動destructive activity破壊的destructive破壊されるbe destroyed

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

自滅phrase
self-destruction
破壊的な行動phrase
destructive behavior

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

破壊 is often used in formal contexts, such as news reports or official statements.

Gold Rule

Formal vs. Informal

In informal speech, 破壊 is sometimes replaced with more casual terms like '壊す' (kowsuru) for actions or '壊れる' (kowareru) for states.

📖Word Origin

From 破 (haka, 'break') + 壊 (kai, 'destroy').

📝Usage Notes

Often used in contexts of war, natural disasters, or deliberate damage. Can also describe metaphorical destruction (e.g., '破壊的な批判' = 'destructive criticism').

Word Breakdown

break
root
+
destroy
root
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