break – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of break

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to break sb in
Participle: broken sb in
Gerund: breaking sb in

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Ibreak sb in
youbreak sb in
he;she;itbreaks sb in
webreak sb in
youbreak sb in
theybreak sb in

Perfect

Ihave broken sb in; broke sb in
youhave broken sb in; broke sb in
he;she;ithas broken sb in; broke sb in
wehave broken sb in; broke sb in
youhave broken sb in; broke sb in
theyhave broken sb in; broke sb in

Past

Ibroke sb in
youbroke sb in
he;she;itbroke sb in
webroke sb in
youbroke sb in
theybroke sb in

Pluperfect

Ihad broken sb in; broke sb in
youhad broken sb in; broke sb in
he;she;ithad broken sb in; broke sb in
wehad broken sb in; broke sb in
youhad broken sb in; broke sb in
theyhad broken sb in; broke sb in

Future

Iwill break sb in
youwill break sb in
he;she;itwill break sb in
wewill break sb in
youwill break sb in
theywill break sb in

Future Perfect

Iwill have broken sb in; broke sb in
youwill have broken sb in; broke sb in
he;she;itwill have broken sb in; broke sb in
wewill have broken sb in; broke sb in
youwill have broken sb in; broke sb in
theywill have broken sb in; broke sb in

Subjunctive

Present

Ibreak sb in
youbreak sb in
he;she;itbreak sb in
webreak sb in
youbreak sb in
theybreak sb in

Perfect

Ihave broken sb in; broke sb in
youhave broken sb in; broke sb in
he;she;ithave broken sb in; broke sb in
wehave broken sb in; broke sb in
youhave broken sb in; broke sb in
theyhave broken sb in; broke sb in

Imperfect

Ibroke sb in
youbroke sb in
he;she;itbroke sb in
webroke sb in
youbroke sb in
theybroke sb in

Pluperfect

Ihad broken sb in; broke sb in
youhad broken sb in; broke sb in
he;she;ithad broken sb in; broke sb in
wehad broken sb in; broke sb in
youhad broken sb in; broke sb in
theyhad broken sb in; broke sb in

Conditional

Present

Iwould break sb in
youwould break sb in
he;she;itwould break sb in
wewould break sb in
youwould break sb in
theywould break sb in

Perfect

Iwould have broken sb in; broke sb in
youwould have broken sb in; broke sb in
he;she;itwould have broken sb in; broke sb in
wewould have broken sb in; broke sb in
youwould have broken sb in; broke sb in
theywould have broken sb in; broke sb in

Imperative

youbreak sb in
weLet's break sb in
youbreak sb in

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam breaking sb in
youare breaking sb in
he;she;itis breaking sb in
weare breaking sb in
youare breaking sb in
theyare breaking sb in

Perfect

Ihave been breaking sb in
youhave been breaking sb in
he;she;ithas been breaking sb in
wehave been breaking sb in
youhave been breaking sb in
theyhave been breaking sb in

Past

Iwas breaking sb in
youwere breaking sb in
he;she;itwas breaking sb in
wewere breaking sb in
youwere breaking sb in
theywere breaking sb in

Pluperfect

Ihad been breaking sb in
youhad been breaking sb in
he;she;ithad been breaking sb in
wehad been breaking sb in
youhad been breaking sb in
theyhad been breaking sb in

Future

Iwill be breaking sb in
youwill be breaking sb in
he;she;itwill be breaking sb in
wewill be breaking sb in
youwill be breaking sb in
theywill be breaking sb in

Future Perfect

Iwill have been breaking sb in
youwill have been breaking sb in
he;she;itwill have been breaking sb in
wewill have been breaking sb in
youwill have been breaking sb in
theywill have been breaking sb in

Conditional

Present

Iwould be breaking sb in
youwould be breaking sb in
he;she;itwould be breaking sb in
wewould be breaking sb in
youwould be breaking sb in
theywould be breaking sb in

Perfect

Iwould have been breaking sb in
youwould have been breaking sb in
he;she;itwould have been breaking sb in
wewould have been breaking sb in
youwould have been breaking sb in
theywould have been breaking sb in

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)