1.
to tear, to split
To come apart or be divided.
布が裂けた。
The cloth tore.
傷口が裂けた。
The wound split open.
地面が大きく裂けて、中から水が出てきた。
The ground split wide open, and water came out from inside.
裂ける means to tear, split, or rip apart (happening on its own).
TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: 自動詞 (intransitive)
- Pair: 裂く (transitive - to tear something)
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 布が裂ける: cloth tears
- 傷口が裂ける: a wound splits open
- 皮が裂ける: skin splits
- 口が裂けても: even if my mouth splits (= never, under any circumstances)
ASPECT (ている):
裂けている indicates the resulting state of being torn/split.
HOMOPHONE DISTINCTION:
- 裂ける: to tear, split
- 避ける: to avoid
- 割ける: to be able to spare/allocate