Translation guide
A crusher is a machine, tool, or person that crushes materials or objects. This guide covers how to express this concept in Japanese, focusing on common terms for industrial machines, kitchen tools, and figurative uses.
破砕機
industrial crusher
ガーリッククラッシャー
garlic crusher
To refer to a heavy-duty machine used in mining, construction, or recycling to break down large materials.
The standard technical term for a crushing machine in industrial contexts. It covers jaw crushers, cone crushers, etc.
この工場では大型の破砕機が稼働している。
A large crusher is operating in this factory.
A loanword from English, commonly used in technical and industrial settings, often as part of compound terms.
ジョークラッシャーは鉱石の一次破砕に使われる。
Jaw crushers are used for primary crushing of ore.
Specifically a pulverizer or grinder that reduces materials to powder. Used when the output is fine particles.
粉砕機で石灰石を微粉末にする。
The limestone is ground into fine powder with a pulverizer.
To refer to a handheld device used in cooking to crush ingredients.
The most common term for kitchen crushers, often combined with the ingredient, e.g., ガーリッククラッシャー (garlic crusher).
にんにくはクラッシャーでつぶすと便利だ。
It's convenient to crush garlic with a crusher.
A general term for a mashing or crushing tool, often used for potatoes or garlic. Less specific than クラッシャー.
じゃがいもをつぶし器でマッシュする。
Mash the potatoes with a masher.
To describe someone who defeats, overwhelms, or breaks something, often in a competitive or destructive sense.
Japanese rarely uses a noun like 'crusher' for a person. Instead, describe the action with verbs like 打ち砕く (smash), 粉砕する (pulverize), or 圧倒する (overwhelm).
彼は相手の希望を打ち砕いた。
He was a crusher of his opponent's hopes. (lit. He smashed his opponent's hopes.)
Literally 'destroyer', can be used in dramatic or literary contexts for someone who crushes things, but it's not common in everyday speech.
彼は夢の破壊者と呼ばれた。
He was called a crusher of dreams.
To refer to a machine that compresses junk cars into scrap metal.
The standard term, often written in katakana. It specifically refers to a car crusher.
廃車はカー・クラッシャーで圧縮される。
Scrapped cars are compressed by a car crusher.
A more formal, descriptive term for a car crusher, used in official or technical documents.
自動車破砕機の導入によりリサイクル効率が向上した。
The introduction of car crushers improved recycling efficiency.
Calling someone a 'crusher' in Japanese using a direct noun like 破砕者 is unnatural. Use descriptive verb phrases instead.