Skip to content
fluentbyear

JAPANESE VERB

こわす

壊す

to break something

  • #113 most used
  • Godan verb (u-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI break something
NegativeI don’t break something

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI broke something
NegativeI didn’t break something

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formbreaking something, and…
Doing now (て います)I am breaking something
Please (て ください)please break something

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can break something
NegativeI can’t break something

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to break something
NegativeI don’t want to break something

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s break something

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I break something
  2. If, when (たら) if I break something

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) break something (do it)
  2. Plain command break something!
  3. Please don’t please don’t break something

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am broken something
CausativeI make someone break something

How to use こわす

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    むすこ は すぐ おもちゃ を こわします。

    My son breaks his toys right away.

  2. Past

    ごめん、 かりた かさ を こわした。

    Sorry, I broke the umbrella I borrowed.

  3. Te-form

    ふるい いえ を こわして、 あたらしく たてます。

    They'll tear down the old house and build a new one.

  4. Potential

    この はこ は かたくて、 こわせません。

    This box is hard and I can't break it.

  5. Want to

    あいだ の かべ を こわしたい と おもって いる。

    I'm thinking of knocking down the wall between them.

  6. Volitional

    この はこ は もう つかわない から、 こわそう。

    We don't use this box any more, so let's break it up.

  7. Conditional

    それ を こわしたら、 べんしょう です よ。

    If you break that, you pay for it.

  8. Commands and requests

    おとうと の おもちゃ を こわさないで。

    Don't break your little brother's toys.

  9. Passive and causative

    たいふう で やね を こわされた。

    The typhoon wrecked our roof.

Good to know

  • こわす is to break something; こわれる is for the thing that breaks by itself: スマホ が こわれた.
  • おなか を こわす is to get an upset stomach.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: godan verb (u-verb).