離婚（りこん、rikon）
- divorce

The Japanese word 離婚 離婚 means "divorce." It refers to the legal dissolution of a marriage, ending the marital relationship between two people. This involves the official termination of the legal obligations and rights associated with being married.

⚫︎彼らは去年、離婚しました。 Translation: They got divorced last year. ⚫︎離婚の手続きは複雑です。 Translation: The divorce process is complicated. ⚫︎彼女は離婚後、新しい生活を始めました。 Translation: She started a new life after the divorce.

⚫︎You use 離婚 離婚 when discussing the act of divorcing, the state of being divorced, or the legal process of divorce. ⚫︎It's a formal word, suitable for both written and spoken Japanese in most situations where divorce is being discussed.

⚫︎The word 離婚 離婚 is typically written using kanji and hiragana: 離婚. ⚫︎The kanji 離 means "separate" or "leave," and the kanji 婚 means "marriage." Together, they create the meaning "divorce". ⚫︎It is always written in this way, there are no other accepted methods of writing it. ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana attached to kanji) is not applicable here as 離婚 is only ever written with the two kanji. ⚫︎Variations in okurigana don't exist for the word 離婚 離婚.

⚫︎While 離婚 離婚 is the primary and most common term for "divorce," there aren't many direct synonyms. You might use more descriptive phrases to convey the concept. ⚫︎In formal legal contexts, you might see terms relating to the specific type of divorce, such as 協議離婚（kyōgi-rikon, divorce by agreement).

⚫︎The antonym of 離婚 離婚 is marriage, or the act of getting married. The direct opposite would be the state of being married. ⚫︎The corresponding Japanese terms would be related to marriage or getting married such as: ⚫︎結婚 (kekkon - marriage) ⚫︎婚姻 (kon'in - marriage, often used in legal contexts) ⚫︎入籍 (nyūseki - registration of marriage)

彼女は夫との関係がうまくいかず、離婚を決意しました。 ・Translation: She decided to get a divorce because her relationship with her husband wasn't going well. ・Explanation: This sentence explains the reason behind the decision to get a divorce. It highlights the breakdown of the relationship.

離婚後、子供たちの親権は母親に渡されました。 ・Translation: After the divorce, the custody of the children was given to the mother. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the outcome of a divorce, specifically regarding child custody.

⚫︎The word 離婚 離婚 is a compound word. ⚫︎離 (ri) comes from the verb 離れる (hanareru), meaning "to separate" or "to leave." ⚫︎婚 (kon) comes from the word 結婚 (kekkon), meaning "marriage." ⚫︎Therefore, the word's etymology clearly reflects its meaning: the separation or leaving of marriage.