割る

• Reading: わる
• Romaji: waru
• Kanji breakdown: 割 (katsu/wa) — divide, cut, break, proportion
• Pronunciation: /wa.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To break; to crack; to split; to divide. Used for breaking things into pieces or dividing numbers.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb conjugated with the る row. Versatile verb meaning to physically break something (glass, eggs), to divide mathematically (10を2で割る = divide 10 by 2), or to go below a threshold (百を割る = to fall below 100). Can also mean to dilute a drink (水で割る = to mix with water).

Examples

1. うっかりお皿を割ってしまった。 I accidentally broke a plate.
2. 二十を四で割ると五になる。 Twenty divided by four equals five.
3. このお酒は水で割って飲むとおいしい。 This drink tastes good when you mix it with water.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, mathematics, cooking

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 割 combines 害 (harm) and 刂 (knife radical), originally meaning to cut or divide with a blade.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal