Definition and Usage
The verb break means to separate into pieces, cause damage, or interrupt something. It is often used both literally, such as breaking an object, and figuratively, like breaking a rule or breaking someone's heart. This verb is irregular in its past forms.
Base, Past, and Past Participle
The base form of the verb is break. Its simple past form is broke, and the past participle is broken. These forms are essential when constructing different tenses such as the present perfect or past perfect.
Present Tense and Simple Past
In the present tense, break changes depending on the subject, while in the simple past tense, it becomes broke for all subjects. This tense is used for actions that occurred once or have been completed in the past.
Present Perfect and Past Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense uses broken with the verb have or has, indicating an action that occurred at an unspecified time or has relevance now. Similarly, the past perfect uses had broken to denote an action completed before another past action.
Conjugation Table
| English Pronoun | English Conjugation | Spanish Conjugation | English Example | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | break / broke | romper / rompí | I break the glass. | Yo rompo el vaso. |
| You | break / broke | romper / rompiste | You broke the window yesterday. | Tú rompiste la ventana ayer. |
| He/She/It | breaks / broke | romper / rompió | She breaks the rules sometimes. | Ella rompe las reglas a veces. |
| We | break / broke | romper / rompimos | We broke the vase by accident. | Nosotros rompimos el jarrón por accidente. |
| They | break / broke | romper / rompieron | They broke the machine last week. | Ellos rompieron la máquina la semana pasada. |
| English Pronoun | English Conjugation | Spanish Conjugation | English Example | Spanish Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I/You/He/She/It/We/They | have/has broken | he/has/ha/hemos/han roto | She has broken her phone. | Ella ha roto su teléfono. |
| I/You/He/She/It/We/They | had broken | había/ habías/ había/ habíamos/ habían roto | They had broken the record before. | Ellos habían roto el récord antes. |
Usage Tips
Remember that break is often confused with fix (arreglar). When something is damaged, we say it is broken, not fixed unless it has been repaired. Additionally, broken can function as an adjective describing something that is not functioning or is damaged.
Example Sentences
- The child broke his toy yesterday.
- Have you broken any dishes recently?
- The glass is broken and cannot be used.
- We had broken the rules before the teacher found out.
