折れます（おれます、oremasu）
- to be folded

The Japanese verb 折れます (おれます, *oremasu*) primarily means "to break," "to snap," or "to be folded." It describes the action of something bending or fracturing under force, or being intentionally folded. The meaning depends on the context and the subject of the sentence. The "masu" form indicates a polite, present or future tense. The action typically happens spontaneously. The subject is usually the thing that breaks or folds. 折れます (おれます) is the polite form of the verb.

⚫︎鉛筆が折れました。 Translation: The pencil broke. ⚫︎この紙は簡単に折れます。 Translation: This paper folds easily. ⚫︎腕が折れてしまいました。 Translation: My arm broke.

You use 折れます (おれます) to describe situations where something is physically broken, snapped, or folded. It can apply to a variety of objects, such as pencils, bones, paper, or even natural objects like branches. It's often used when the breakage happens unintentionally or by accident. It is commonly used in polite conversation due to the "masu" form.

折れます (おれます) is written using the kanji 折 combined with the hiragana れます. The kanji 折 means "to fold," "to break," or "to bend." The hiragana れます is the polite present/future tense conjugation of the verb. The okurigana is れます, and it's always included. There are no other common ways to write this word. The stem of the verb is 折.

⚫︎壊れます (こわれます, *kowaremasu*): To break, to be damaged (more general term). ⚫︎割れます (われます, *waremasu*): To crack, to split (often used for brittle things). ⚫︎曲がります (まがります, *magarimasu*): To bend, to curve. ⚫︎ポキッと折れる ( *pokitto oreru*): To snap (onomatopoeic, more emphatic).

⚫︎治ります (なおります, *naorimasu*): To be fixed, to be repaired. ⚫︎直ります (なおります, *naorimasu*): To be fixed, to be repaired. (Similar to above) ⚫︎残ります (のこります, *nokorimasu*): To remain (if something does *not* break).

風が強くて、木の枝が折れました。 ・Translation: The wind was strong, and the tree branch broke. ・Explanation: This sentence describes how a tree branch, due to strong wind, was broken. The subject is the tree branch, and the verb used is 折れ (stem of 折れます).

大切な傘が、バスのドアに挟まって折れてしまいました。 ・Translation: My important umbrella broke because it got caught in the bus door. ・Explanation: This sentence describes how a person's umbrella broke due to being caught in a bus door. Here, 折れ (the stem of 折れます) shows an unintentional breakage. The use of "しまいました" expresses regret.

The kanji 折 is the core of the word. It's an old character related to the idea of bending or breaking. The origin of the kanji is related to the idea of a hand holding a stick, thus suggesting the act of bending or breaking something. The verb れます is a conjugation ending indicating polite tense in the case of 折れます.