1.
to cut into, to excavate
To cut into something and break it apart, especially terrain or material.
山を切り崩して道路を作った。
They cut into the mountain to build a road.
丘を切り崩して平地にした。
They excavated the hill and leveled it.
崖を切り崩して土砂を運び出す。
Cut into the cliff and haul out the earth and sand.
斜面を切り崩して宅地を造成した。
They cut into the slope to develop residential land.
2.
to draw on, to dip into (savings)
To gradually use up saved resources; to spend money from savings.
貯金を切り崩して生活している。
I'm living by dipping into my savings.
退職金を切り崩さないようにしたい。
I want to avoid eating into my retirement fund.
資産を切り崩しながら暮らしている。
I'm living while gradually depleting my assets.
定期預金を切り崩すしかない。
I have no choice but to dip into my fixed deposit.
遺産を切り崩さないで生活できるようにしたい。
I want to be able to live without dipping into my inheritance.
備蓄を切り崩して災害に対応した。
We drew on our reserves to respond to the disaster.
3.
to break up, to undermine
To weaken or divide something from within; to erode support or unity.
相手陣営を切り崩す作戦だ。
It's a strategy to break up the opposing camp.
敵の防御を切り崩す。
To break down the enemy's defense.
反対派を切り崩して賛成を得た。
They undermined the opposition and gained approval.
組織の結束を切り崩そうとした。
They tried to break up the unity of the organization.
相手の自信を切り崩す戦略だ。
It's a strategy to undermine the opponent's confidence.
切り崩す is a compound verb: 切る (to cut) + 崩す (to crumble).
TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: Transitive (他動詞)
- Pattern: Xを切り崩す
ASPECT (ている):
- 切り崩している - describes ongoing erosion/spending
- Often used for gradual, continuous actions
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 貯金を切り崩す - to dip into savings
- 山を切り崩す - to cut into a mountain
- 相手を切り崩す - to break down the opposition
COMPOUND VERB NOTES:
The combination of 切る (cutting) and 崩す (causing to crumble) creates the image of breaking something down piece by piece. This explains its use for both physical excavation and gradual depletion of resources.