To rend something is to tear it or pull it apart with force — clothes, a sail, a curtain, a tree in a storm. It is an old, strong, rather literary verb.

To rend something is要rend一樣東西，就是 to tear it or pull it apart with force用力把它撕裂或扯開──clothes衣服, a sail一面帆, a curtain一片窗簾, a tree in a storm暴風雨中的一棵樹。It它是 an old, strong, rather literary verb一個古老、力道強、相當文學性的動詞。

In everyday talk we say tear or rip.

In everyday talk在日常對話裡 we say tear or rip我們會說tear或rip。

You still meet rend in stories, in the Bible, and in fixed phrases: a scream that rends the air; pain that rends your heart (which gives us heart-rending, meaning so sad it feels like it tears you).

You still meet你還會在 rend in stories, in the Bible, and in fixed phrases故事裡、聖經裡，和固定片語裡遇到rend: a scream that rends the air一聲劃破天空的尖叫; pain that rends your heart撕裂你內心的痛苦 (which gives us heart-rending這就是heart-rending這個字的由來, meaning意思是 so sad it feels like it tears you難過到讓人覺得心都要碎了)。

The old past form is rent: “he rent his clothes.” Though actually, a rent can also mean a tear or hole, and that noun does come from this verb. Do not mix this up with rent meaning money you pay for a house — that only looks the same.

The old past form舊式的過去式 is rent是rent: “he rent his clothes.”「他撕裂了自己的衣服」。Though actually不過其實，a rentrent這個名詞 can also mean也可以指 a tear or hole一個裂口或破洞, and而且 that noun does come from this verb這個名詞確實就是從這個動詞來的。Do not mix this up with不要把它跟 rent meaning money you pay for a house指付房租的那個rent搞混──that only looks the same兩者只是長得一樣而已。