- karatakewari cutting straight down, cleaving (a person) in two
A dramatic, martial-arts term for splitting someone vertically; rare in daily speech, mostly found in samurai fiction, manga, or boasting.
剣豪は敵を唐竹割りにした。
Kengō wa teki o karatakewari ni shita.
The master swordsman split his enemy in two.
兜ごと唐竹割りだ！
Kabuto goto karatakewari da!
I'll split you in two, helmet and all!
⚖️ Not to be confused with 真っ二つ (mapputatsu), which means 'in two' generally and lacks the vertical, martial image of karatakewari.
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