To Be Disconnected
To Come Off, To Be Off
intransitive verb, ichidan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb.
The kanji 外 means outside, but this word means to be disconnected, to come off, or to be off. It's used when something separates from or comes off of something else. It's intransitive, meaning that it happens on its own. You don't do it, but it just disconnects itself.
You already learned 外す, which is used when YOU disconnect something. Like many transitive verbs, that one ends in す. 外れる, on the other hand, means that something disconnects all on its own. To help you remember the difference, imagine yourself walking up a flight of stairs and the rail (れる) coming off in your hand. Oops! You didn't do that, it happened all by itself.
That rail has はず to be fixed, otherwise it's going to come off again, someone's going to get hurt.
左に外れる
to come off to the left
上に外れる
to go too high and miss (a target)
クジに外れる
to miss out in a lottery
あごが外れる
the jaw dislocates
戸が外れる
the door comes off
チェーンが外れる
the chain comes off
コースから外れる
to go off course
ルートから外れる
to go off the route
メンバーから外れる
to be removed as a member, to be left off the team
仕事をやめるのは、社会のレールから外れるような気がしてコワイです。
I am afraid to quit my job because I feel like I am going off the rails of society.
ケガをして、スタメンから外れることになっちゃったんだ。
I got injured, so I'm going to be taken off the starting players.
プラグが外れたので、Mr.ロボットは「ありがとう」と言えなくなった。
Since the plug was disconnected, Mr. Robot was no longer able to say, "thank you," anymore.