外れる

• Reading: はずれる
• Romaji: hazureru
• Kanji breakdown: 外 (hazureru/gai/soto) — come off, deviate, miss
• Pronunciation: /ha.zɯ.ɾe.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To come off; to be disconnected; to miss. To deviate from or fail to meet expectations.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb, the intransitive pair of 外す (to remove). Describes things coming off on their own: a button falling off (ボタンが外れる), missing a lottery (くじが外れる), deviating from norms (道を外れる), and expectations not being met (予想が外れる). Common in everyday speech for things not going as planned.

Examples

1. コートのボタンが一つ外れていた。 One of the buttons on my coat had come off.
2. 天気予報が外れて雨が降らなかった。 The weather forecast was wrong and it didn't rain.
3. 宝くじが見事に外れた。 My lottery ticket was a total miss.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, weather, luck

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Intransitive form derived from 外す. The kanji 外 means outside or external, with れる ending indicating the spontaneous action of something coming detached.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal