崩壊

• Reading: ほうかい
• Romaji: hōkai
• Kanji breakdown: 崩 (hō/kuzure) — crumble, collapse; 壊 (kai/kowa) — break, destroy
• Pronunciation: /ho.ː.ka.i/

Meaning

Collapse; crumbling; disintegration; breakdown. Refers to the sudden and complete destruction or falling apart of a structure, system, or order.

Used as a verbal noun with する (崩壊する). Applied to physical structures (建物の崩壊, building collapse), social systems (社会の崩壊, societal breakdown), political regimes (体制の崩壊, regime collapse), and psychological states (精神崩壊, mental breakdown). Carries a strong sense of irreversibility and totality that distinguishes it from 破壊 (hakai, destruction by external force).

Examples

1. 大地震によって旧市街の建物の多くが崩壊した。 Many buildings in the old city quarter collapsed in the major earthquake.
2. 長年続いた独裁政権が民衆蜂起によって崩壊した。 A long-standing dictatorship collapsed under a popular uprising.
3. 家族の絆が崩壊していく様子を描いた小説が大きな反響を呼んだ。 A novel depicting the gradual disintegration of family bonds drew a wide response.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, journalism, literature, disaster

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Compound of 崩 (hō, crumble, collapse) and 壊 (kai, break, destroy). Both characters convey destruction and falling apart, making the compound doubly emphatic about complete structural dissolution from within.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal