1.
to tear to pieces
to tear to pieces; to pick (leaves, petals)
パンを千切って食べる。
To tear bread and eat it.
手紙を細かく千切った。
I tore the letter into small pieces.
花びらを一枚ずつ千切る。
To pick off the petals one by one.
千切る is a godan verb meaning to tear something into pieces by hand.
TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: Transitive (他動詞)
- Pattern: Xを千切る
ASPECT (ている):
千切っている can indicate ongoing tearing or the resulting state of having torn something.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- パンを千切る (tear bread)
- 紙を千切る (tear paper)
- 葉を千切る (pick leaves)
Related expressions:
- 千切れる (intransitive: to be torn)
- 千切りキャベツ (hand-torn cabbage - cooking term)
ORTHOGRAPHY:
Often written in hiragana as ちぎる.