潰れる

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 潰れる is read as つぶれる and is an intransitive verb meaning to be crushed or for a shop or business to fail.
• Basic usage: The context distinguishes a physical change to fruit under weight from a store becoming unable to remain in business as customers decline.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Being physically crushed
  • 果物が潰れる means that fruit becomes crushed under pressure or weight. Example: 箱の下にあった果物が重みで潰れた。
• A shop going out of business
  • 店が潰れる means the shop fails as a business, not that its building is physically crushed. Example: 客が減り、このままでは店が潰れる。