破綻

• Reading: はたん
• Romaji: hatan
• Kanji breakdown: 破 (ha/yabu) — break, tear, rupture; 綻 (tan/hokorob) — rip at the seam, unravel
• Pronunciation: /hatãn/

Meaning

Bankruptcy; failure; collapse; breakdown. The complete and irreversible falling apart of a system, plan, relationship, or enterprise.

A verbal noun (する verb). Used broadly for financial collapse (経営破綻, business failure), logical inconsistency (論理が破綻する, the logic breaks down), and relational breakdown (関係が破綻する). Conveys irreversibility and totality — not a partial setback but a complete unravelling.

Examples

1. 長引く不況の影響で、多くの中小企業が経営破綻に追い込まれた。 The prolonged recession drove many small and medium-sized businesses into financial collapse.
2. 彼の弁明は途中で矛盾が生じ、完全に破綻してしまった。 His defence developed contradictions midway through and broke down completely.
3. 信頼関係が破綻した後では、いかなる協力も望めない。 Once a relationship of trust has broken down, no cooperation can be expected.

Usage Guide

Context: business, finance, law, relationships

Tone: serious

Origin & History

Compound of 破 (ha, to break/tear) and 綻 (tan, to rip/come apart at the seams). The image of stitching coming undone captures the sense of something that was held together finally falling completely apart.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal