深掘り · deep dive · N3 context fill
Four ways to "break"
English has one verb here. Japanese picks it by what is being broken.
53% of 66 answers were right — one of the hardest questions in the catalogue.
The question
Choose the verb that best fits the blank.
彼女は一度した約束を（ ）ことがない。
- 破った✓ correct
- 壊した
- 割った
- 折った
She has never broken a promise she made.
What it is testing
Japanese has several verbs for "break", and the object decides which one is right. They do not swap freely.
A promise is broken with 破る — the same verb as tearing paper. Abstract things you "tear through" all take it: promises, rules, records. 壊す, 割る and 折る are all physical breaking, and none of them can take 約束.
Which "break" goes with what
| Verb | For | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 破る やぶる | tearing; breaking promises, rules, records | 紙を破る・約束を破る・記録を破る |
| 壊す こわす | machines, structures, your health | パソコンを壊す・体を壊す |
| 割る わる | brittle or flat things that split | お皿を割る・卵を割る |
| 折る おる | long thin things; folding | 骨を折る・枝を折る・紙を折る |
Why the wrong answers are tempting
- ✕ 壊したThe general-purpose "break" — but only for objects and systems, never for a promise.
- ✕ 割ったRight for glass and plates. A promise does not shatter.
- ✕ 折ったFor snapping something long and thin, like a bone or a branch.
More examples
- 彼はルールを破って、試合に出られなくなった。He broke the rules and was banned from the match.
- 弟がゲーム機を壊した。My little brother broke the game console.
- 洗っているとき、コップを割ってしまった。I broke a glass while washing up.
- スキーで足の骨を折った。I broke my leg skiing.
覚え方 · how to remember it
Things you tear through — promises, rules, records — take 破る.