break – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of break

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to break down sth
Participle: broken down sth
Gerund: breaking down sth

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Ibreak down sth
youbreak down sth
he;she;itbreaks down sth
webreak down sth
youbreak down sth
theybreak down sth

Perfect

Ihave broken down sth; broke down sth
youhave broken down sth; broke down sth
he;she;ithas broken down sth; broke down sth
wehave broken down sth; broke down sth
youhave broken down sth; broke down sth
theyhave broken down sth; broke down sth

Past

Ibroke down sth
youbroke down sth
he;she;itbroke down sth
webroke down sth
youbroke down sth
theybroke down sth

Pluperfect

Ihad broken down sth; broke down sth
youhad broken down sth; broke down sth
he;she;ithad broken down sth; broke down sth
wehad broken down sth; broke down sth
youhad broken down sth; broke down sth
theyhad broken down sth; broke down sth

Future

Iwill break down sth
youwill break down sth
he;she;itwill break down sth
wewill break down sth
youwill break down sth
theywill break down sth

Future Perfect

Iwill have broken down sth; broke down sth
youwill have broken down sth; broke down sth
he;she;itwill have broken down sth; broke down sth
wewill have broken down sth; broke down sth
youwill have broken down sth; broke down sth
theywill have broken down sth; broke down sth

Subjunctive

Present

Ibreak down sth
youbreak down sth
he;she;itbreak down sth
webreak down sth
youbreak down sth
theybreak down sth

Perfect

Ihave broken down sth; broke down sth
youhave broken down sth; broke down sth
he;she;ithave broken down sth; broke down sth
wehave broken down sth; broke down sth
youhave broken down sth; broke down sth
theyhave broken down sth; broke down sth

Imperfect

Ibroke down sth
youbroke down sth
he;she;itbroke down sth
webroke down sth
youbroke down sth
theybroke down sth

Pluperfect

Ihad broken down sth; broke down sth
youhad broken down sth; broke down sth
he;she;ithad broken down sth; broke down sth
wehad broken down sth; broke down sth
youhad broken down sth; broke down sth
theyhad broken down sth; broke down sth

Conditional

Present

Iwould break down sth
youwould break down sth
he;she;itwould break down sth
wewould break down sth
youwould break down sth
theywould break down sth

Perfect

Iwould have broken down sth; broke down sth
youwould have broken down sth; broke down sth
he;she;itwould have broken down sth; broke down sth
wewould have broken down sth; broke down sth
youwould have broken down sth; broke down sth
theywould have broken down sth; broke down sth

Imperative

youbreak down sth
weLet's break down sth
youbreak down sth

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam breaking down sth
youare breaking down sth
he;she;itis breaking down sth
weare breaking down sth
youare breaking down sth
theyare breaking down sth

Perfect

Ihave been breaking down sth
youhave been breaking down sth
he;she;ithas been breaking down sth
wehave been breaking down sth
youhave been breaking down sth
theyhave been breaking down sth

Past

Iwas breaking down sth
youwere breaking down sth
he;she;itwas breaking down sth
wewere breaking down sth
youwere breaking down sth
theywere breaking down sth

Pluperfect

Ihad been breaking down sth
youhad been breaking down sth
he;she;ithad been breaking down sth
wehad been breaking down sth
youhad been breaking down sth
theyhad been breaking down sth

Future

Iwill be breaking down sth
youwill be breaking down sth
he;she;itwill be breaking down sth
wewill be breaking down sth
youwill be breaking down sth
theywill be breaking down sth

Future Perfect

Iwill have been breaking down sth
youwill have been breaking down sth
he;she;itwill have been breaking down sth
wewill have been breaking down sth
youwill have been breaking down sth
theywill have been breaking down sth

Conditional

Present

Iwould be breaking down sth
youwould be breaking down sth
he;she;itwould be breaking down sth
wewould be breaking down sth
youwould be breaking down sth
theywould be breaking down sth

Perfect

Iwould have been breaking down sth
youwould have been breaking down sth
he;she;itwould have been breaking down sth
wewould have been breaking down sth
youwould have been breaking down sth
theywould have been breaking down sth

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'break'

bespeak, break, speak, steal,

Verbs similar to 'break'

beak, bread, bream, creak, freak, wreak, aread, arear, bead, beal,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

destroy
crash, batter, dash, crush, demolish, fracture, shatter, shiver
violate
contravene, disobey, infract, infringe, transgress

Antonyms

to restore to a sound or good state
aggravate, damage, hurt, repair
to continue to exist
fail, persist, yield
destroy
construct, build, create, originate

Additional Information

Etymology

1. O.E. brecan (class IV strong verb; past tense bræc, pp. brocen), from P.Gmc. *brekan (cf. O.Fris. breka, Du. breken, O.H.G. brehhan, Ger. brechen, Goth. brikan), from PIE base *bhreg- "to break" (see fraction). Most modern senses were in O.E. Meaning "to disclose" is from 1450. Noun sense of "short interval between spells of work (originally between lessons at school) is from 1861. Break the ice is 1602, in ref. to the "coldness" of encounters of strangers. Break wind first attested 1552. Breaker "heavy ocean wave" is from 1684. Breakneck (of speeds, etc.) is from 1562. Breakthrough is 1918, originally in ref. to WWI military events. Ironic theatrical good luck formula break a leg has parallels in Ger. Hals und Bein brechen "break your neck and leg," and It. in bocca al lupo.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-
4. Proto-Indo-European *-eti
5. Proto-Indo-European *bʰrégeti
6. Proto-Germanic *brekaną
7. Proto-West Germanic *brekan
8. Old English brecan
9. Middle English breken
10. English break
11. From Middle English breken, from Old English brecan (“to break”), from Proto-West Germanic *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”). Doublet of bray.
12. Cognates
13. Cognates of Germanic origin include Scots brek (“to break”), West Frisian brekke (“to break”), Dutch breken (“to break”), Low German breken (“to break”), German brechen (“to break”), French broyer (“to crush, grind”), Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan, “to break, destroy”), Norwegian brek (“desire, yearning”).
14. Also cognate with Albanian brishtë (“fragile”), Latin frangō (“break, break up, shatter”, verb), whence English fracture and other terms – fragile, frail, fraction, and fragment.
15. The modern pronunciation shows an irregular change of Early Modern English /ɛː/ to /eɪ/ in the standard language; contrast this with the development of other words such as speak and wreak. See: Middle English 'breken', Old English 'brecan', Proto-Germanic '*brekaną', Dutch 'breken', Low Saxon 'breken', German, old spelling 'brechen', French 'broyer', Latin 'frangō', English 'fracture'.

Verbs referencing "break"

Tok Pisin bruk, Low Saxon breken, German, Pennsylvania breche, Finnish with old forms breikata, Danish brække, Luxembourgish briechen, Tok Pisin brukim.

Sample Sentences

  • [...] our ears, the vessel throbs like a strong giant that has just received the breath of life; the two great wheels turn fiercely round for the first time; and the noble ship, with wind and tide astern, breaks proudly through the lashed and roaming water. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • The subject appeared to interest the gentleman deeply; for while Mr. Shelby was thoughtfully peeling an orange, Haley broke out afresh, with becoming diffidence, but as if actually driven by the force of truth to say a few words more. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • The heaviest load on his mind, after his conversation with the trader, lay in the foreseen necessity of breaking to his wife the arrangement contemplated,—meeting the importunities and opposition which he knew he should have reason to encounter. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • “ Here, you Mose, Pete, ” he said, breaking off liberal bits, and throwing it at them; “ you want some, don't you ? Come, Aunt Chloe, bake them some cakes. ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] ourselves and for the shadows who appear to us in those visions of the night, so she, having no words, uses her finger alphabet in her sleep. And it has been ascertained that when her slumber is broken, and is much disturbed by dreams, she expresses her thoughts in an irregular and confused manner on her fingers: just as we should murmur and mutter them indistinctly, in the like circumstances. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] I can bar it as well as any on ’ em, ” he added, while something like a sob and a sigh shook his broad, rough chest convulsively. “ Mas’r always found me on the spot—he always will. I never have broke trust, nor used my pass no ways contrary to my word, and I never will. It's better for me alone to go, than to break up the place and sell all. Mas’r an't to blame, Chloe, and he'll take care [...] (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] “ Mas’r always found me on the spot—he always will. I never have broke trust, nor used my pass no ways contrary to my word, and I never will. It's better for me alone to go, than to break up the place and sell all. Mas’r an't to blame, Chloe, and he'll take care of you and the poor — ” (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] Haley's horse _should_ begin to act contrary, and cut up, you and I jist lets go of our’n to help him, and _we'll help him_—oh yes ! ” And Sam and Andy laid their heads back on their shoulders, and broke into a low, immoderate laugh, snapping their fingers and flourishing their heels with exquisite delight. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] two hundred prisoners. A spot was shown me in the sleeping ward, where a watchman was murdered some years since in the dead of night, in a desperate attempt to escape, made by a prisoner who had broken from his cell. A woman, too, was pointed out to me, who, for the murder of her husband, had been a close prisoner for sixteen years. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] or oftener. For the young gentlemen, there is the counting-house, the store, the bar-room: the latter, as you may see through these windows, pretty full. Hark! to the clinking sound of hammers breaking lumps of ice, and to the cool gurgling of the pounded bits, as, in the process of mixing, they are poured from glass to glass ! No amusements? What are these suckers of cigars and swallowers of [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • You know, Hemingway wrote, " The world breaks everyone, (The Crow)
  • about the SUV you broke into. Goddamn it, I don't care about that. (Locked)
  • ♪ Don't fret in fear or worry forever ♪ ♪ Don't get shaken Don't be broken ♪ (Magudam)
  • [cell door slams] I know that look. Your heart's been broken. (Fackham Hall)
  • It says that you broke into her flat during the theft, (Nunakuzhi)