離れる

• Reading: はなれる
• Romaji: hanareru
• Kanji breakdown: 離 (ri/hana) — separate, detach, leave
• Pronunciation: /ha.na.ɾe.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To separate; to part from; to be apart. Describes physical or emotional distance between things or people.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb. The transitive pair is 離す (to separate something). Used for physical distance (駅から離れている — far from the station), leaving home (親元を離れる — leave the nest), and abstract detachment (現実離れ — unrealistic). Extremely common in everyday Japanese.

Examples

1. 実家を離れて一人暮らしを始めた。 I left my parents' home and started living on my own.
2. 駅から少し離れた場所にカフェがある。 There's a café a little ways from the station.
3. 友達と離れるのは寂しいけど仕方がない。 It's sad to be apart from my friends, but it can't be helped.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, relationships, location

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 離 depicts a bird (隹) being separated, with the left component suggesting detachment. The ichidan ending れる indicates an intransitive state.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal