1.
break; gap; pause; interruption
A point where something is interrupted or divided, either in time or in a continuous sequence.
話の切れ目。
A pause in the conversation.
仕事の切れ目に休憩を取る。
To take a break during a pause in work.
雨の切れ目を見計らって外に出た。
I waited for a break in the rain and went outside.
2.
cut; slit; seam; opening
A physical line or opening where something has been cut or separated.
袋に切れ目を入れる。
To make a cut in a bag.
紙の切れ目に沿って折る。
To fold along the cut line on the paper.
壁に細い切れ目が入っていた。
There was a thin crack in the wall.
A compound noun from 切れる (to cut/break) + 目 (point/spot). Refers to any point of division or interruption, whether abstract (time, conversation) or physical (a slit, crack).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 話の切れ目: a pause in conversation
- 雨の切れ目: a break in the rain
- 仕事の切れ目: a break between tasks
- 切れ目なく: without interruption, continuously
- 切れ目を入れる: to make a cut/incision
PROVERB:
金の切れ目が縁の切れ目: "When the money runs out, the relationship ends" — a well-known saying about how financial problems can end relationships.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 隙間: gap, crevice — emphasizes empty space between objects
- 区切り: division, punctuation — emphasizes a deliberate marking or boundary point
- 途切れ: break, interruption — emphasizes something stopping or being cut short