壊れます（こわれます、kowaremasu）
- to be broken

The Japanese verb 壊れます (こわれます) means "to break," "to be broken," "to collapse," or "to be damaged." It describes a state of something being inoperable or no longer functioning correctly due to physical damage or malfunction. It is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object; the subject is the thing that breaks. The emphasis is on the result of the action of breaking, not the act of someone or something *causing* something to break.

⚫︎コップが壊れました。 Translation: The cup broke. ⚫︎この時計は壊れています。 Translation: This watch is broken. ⚫︎パソコンが壊れて、困っています。 Translation: My computer is broken, and I'm in trouble.

⚫︎Use 壊れます when something is already in a broken state. ⚫︎You would typically use the past tense 壊れました (こわれました) to say something *broke* or the present continuous tense 壊れています (こわれています) to describe something that *is broken*. ⚫︎It is often used to describe inanimate objects, though it can also be used to describe parts of a body (e.g. bones). ⚫︎Avoid using this verb when someone *breaks* something intentionally. For instance, do not say 彼が窓を壊れました。 (Kare ga mado wo [koware] mashita. - He broke the window.) Instead, use the transitive verb 壊す (kowasu) or other appropriate verbs.

⚫︎The base form is 壊れる (こわれる). ⚫︎It's written in hiragana as こわれる. ⚫︎The kanji form is 壊れる, and is used more frequently in written Japanese. ⚫︎The okurigana (送りがな) after the kanji 壊 is always れる.

⚫︎割れる (われる) - to crack, to break (specifically, glass or something brittle) ⚫︎破れる (やぶれる) - to tear, to rip ⚫︎故障する (こしょうする) - to break down, to malfunction (for machines)

⚫︎直る (なおる) - to be fixed, to be repaired ⚫︎治る (なおる) - to get well, to recover (for health)

古い本棚が壊れてしまいました。 ・Translation: The old bookshelf broke. ・Explanation: This sentence describes that the bookshelf is now broken. The use of "しまいました" expresses regret.

自転車のブレーキが壊れて、危ないです。 ・Translation: The bicycle's brakes are broken, and it's dangerous. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the current state of the bicycle's brakes, which are in a broken state, making cycling dangerous.

The word 壊れる is composed of the kanji 壊 (かい, koware, kowa-れる) which means "to break," "to destroy," or "to ruin." The verb ending, れる (reru), is a passive and/or intransitive verb ending, signifying that the subject undergoes the action of breaking.