別れる

わかれる · wakareru · JLPT N4 · verb-ichidan

to part from

✂️ 別 = bone + knife: to cut apart, so to part ways

The kanji 別 joins an old form of bone with the knife radical 刂: cutting flesh from bone, hence dividing. Same sound as 分かれる (to split), from 分ける, to divide. 別れる is the one used for people parting.

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