狂います（くるいます、kuruimasu）
- to go mad

The Japanese verb 狂います, read as くるいます, generally means "to go wrong," "to be thrown off," "to malfunction," "to be disrupted," or "to become deranged/crazy." It implies a deviation from a normal or expected state, often involving a loss of order, accuracy, or sanity. The specific nuance depends heavily on the context. 狂います often suggests something is no longer functioning as intended or planned. This can range from a machine breaking down to a person losing their mind. It can also imply that something is out of control or behaving unpredictably. The 狂い (kuru-i) part of the word implies "going off-course" or "becoming disordered". The polite form is 狂います while the base form is 狂う. The 狂っ(kuru-i) part is the stem.

⚫︎ 時計が狂いました。 Translation: The clock went wrong. ⚫︎ 計画が狂い始めました。 Translation: The plan started to go wrong. ⚫︎ 彼は気が狂ってしまった。 Translation: He went crazy/lost his mind.

⚫︎ Use 狂います when something is not working correctly, deviating from its standard behavior. ⚫︎ Use 狂います when a system or plan is disrupted or failing. ⚫︎ Use 狂います when referring to someone's mental state becoming unstable. ⚫︎ Depending on the context, the nuance of 狂います can be more literal (e.g., a machine malfunctioning) or more figurative (e.g., someone losing their composure). ⚫︎ Consider the context to understand the degree of seriousness or the nature of the "going wrong".

⚫︎ The base form is 狂う（くるう）. ⚫︎ The polite form is 狂います（くるいます）. ⚫︎ It is usually written in hiragana as くるいます. ⚫︎ The kanji 狂is used, but it's typically learned at an intermediate level. ⚫︎ The okurigana is fixed, using the kana い.

⚫︎ おかしくなる (okashiku naru): to become strange, to go wrong. ⚫︎ 壊れる (kowareru): to break, to be broken (for things). ⚫︎ 故障する (koshō suru): to break down, to malfunction (for machines). ⚫︎ 乱れる (midareru): to be disordered, to be disrupted. ⚫︎ 気が変になる (ki ga hen ni naru): to go crazy, to become mentally unstable. ⚫︎ 錯乱する(sakuran suru): to be confused or in a state of delirium.

⚫︎ 正常になる (seijō ni naru): to become normal. ⚫︎ 治る (naoru): to be fixed, to recover. ⚫︎ 直る (naoru): to be repaired, to be fixed. ⚫︎ 落ち着く (ochitsuku): to calm down, to settle down.

機械が狂い、生産ラインが止まってしまった。 ・Translation: The machine malfunctioned, and the production line stopped. ・Explanation: This uses 狂います to describe a mechanical failure.

あの事件のせいで、彼の人生が狂い始めた。 ・Translation: Because of that incident, his life began to go wrong. ・Explanation: This uses 狂います in a more metaphorical sense, describing how something external caused someone's life to deteriorate.

The kanji 狂 by itself, means "mad," "crazy," or "deranged." It depicts a person or thing that is not in the correct mental or physical state. The word 狂う developed over time to describe anything that deviates from an established norm or expected function. The etymology emphasizes a departure from the "normal" course or condition.