The irregular verb break means to separate into pieces, stop working, or interrupt something. It has two main past forms:
- broke: simple past
- broken: past participle
Break
Break is the base form. It is used in the present tense (I break, you break, they break) and when forming the future (will break) or other tenses using auxiliary verbs (e.g., break ing).
Key meanings of break
- To separate into pieces ( The glass breaks. )
- To stop working ( The clock broke. )
- To interrupt ( She broke the silence. )
- To fail or violate ( He broke the rules. )
Broke
Broke is the simple past form. It is used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past.
Examples of broke in sentences
- I broke my phone yesterday.
- She broke the window last night.
- They broke the record two years ago.
Broken
Broken is the past participle form. It is used in perfect tenses (with have), in the passive voice (with be), or as an adjective.
Examples of broken in sentences
- The vase is broken.
- I have broken my leg.
- The light was broken by the storm.
Usage Guide
Simple Past (broke)
Use broke for completed actions in the past. You can use time expressions like yesterday, last week, or two days ago.
Present Perfect (have broken)
Use have/has broken to talk about experiences, recent events, or actions that affect the present.
Passive Voice (is/was broken)
Use broken with be to form the passive voice. The focus is on the action or the object, not who did it.
Which form do you use when talking about past actions that affect the present, such as "I have ____ it already"?
broken
'Broken' is the past participle used with have/has in present perfect sentences.
Summary
- break = base form (present, future, infinitive)
- broke = simple past (specific time in the past)
- broken = past participle (perfect tenses, passive, adjective)
Match the forms of 'break' with their correct uses.
- break: base form; present, future, infinitive
- broke: simple past; completed past actions
- broken: past participle; perfect tenses, passive, adjective
Correct: break = base, broke = simple past, broken = past participle. Incorrect assignments confuse these roles.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
