When considering the verbs of the English language, one cannot bypass the phrasal verb Break, which in turn is one of the most popular, and in combination - an integral part of most phrases and phrasal verbs from the everyday life of English-speaking people. Therefore, a deep analysis and consolidation of this topic is simply necessary for every person who is interested in the English language.

Its translation is to break, destroy, break (into parts). In English, verbs are usually divided into two groups: regular and irregular. Ours, unfortunately, is the wrong verb. The correctness or irregularity of a verb affects its conjugation in verb forms. And if everything is simple with the right ones, then in this case, the differences will have to be memorized. It is customary to distinguish three standard forms of the verb:

1. Base Form
2. Past Simple
3. Past Participle

1 form of the verb always remains unchanged. The second form of the verb is always expressed as the past tense - Broke. The third form is also expressed in the past tense, but with one slight difference - the verb carries the signs of the subject, - Broken.

Use in phrases and idioms

Verbs in English are actively and successfully formed into various phrases and idioms. Many often confuse these two different concepts and in no case should you do this. in turn, this can lead to various translation errors and misunderstandings in conversation.

Phrases are expressions that have a direct translation.
Idioms are expressions, the translation of which is completely different from the direct translation.

For example, Break the ice- melt the ice, perform some action / say something to defuse the situation, move something off the ground.

Most of them are very famous all over the world and are widely used in the preparation of various texts, consider some of them:

Phrases

breaking news– breaking news, urgent/latest/breaking news. The most popular phrase from this category. It seems that everyone, without exception, has seen her anywhere, especially on television. It is widely used by countries where they do not even speak English, as everyone simply understands its meaning.

smoke break is a relatively common phrase around the world. Most people meet with her every day in between work and she translates as "smoke break".

Break something to pieces- to break something into pieces/small pieces.

Idioms

Break a leg is an idiom meaning good luck. It was originally used in the theatrical field as an encouragement for an actor entering the stage. (One of the versions of the origin is that wishing good luck was considered a bad sign, and the actors, as creative people, decided to go from the opposite)

Break the law- defy the law. Probably the most popular idiom from this area due to the fact that the legislation of any state occupies a large part in the life of its citizens. By the way, the translation of the Break the rules idiom is almost identical, with the exception of one but: instead of a law, there are rules. In no case should they be confused or used as synonyms. As the saying goes, the law is the law, the rules are the rules.

break a habit- to give up the habit / get out of the comfort zone.

break free- to become free, to be freed.

Break a sweat

Break my mind- drive me crazy.

Break a sweat- to work hard / sweat over something.

Some expressions, differing only in one article, can have both direct and figurative meaning at the same time.

Break the stick/a stick-destroy relationships, move away in terms of relationships / break the stick.

I feel like breaking the stick between me and my gf. - I feel like my girlfriend and I are moving away from each other.

Phrasal verbs

The phrasal verb or Phrasal Verb is a characteristic phenomenon in modern English. The phrasal verb Break is confidently included in the same rating of the most and actively used phrasal verbs in the English language. Like any other, it is formed according to the scheme verb + adverb / preposition + adverb. With rare exceptions, it is found in business communication and very often in colloquial English. language, or more simply - in ordinary communication. Let's look at a few examples:

Break in has many meanings - to interrupt or interfere in someone's business / conversation, break in, break in.

The thieves waited until it was dark to break in. “The robbers waited until darkness fell, and only then did they start breaking in.

break up also has many meanings - to finish, stop, disperse, break up (about a group, company, family), upset, upset the peace of mind, disappear, interrupt (about a radio signal).

My mother says, her brother is going to get married to his girlfriend but she is afraid they will break up soon. My mother says that her brother is going to marry his girlfriend, but she is afraid that they will soon break up.

break down- break down, fail (about plans), lose ground, deteriorate (in terms of condition / health)

Your car will break down if you don't have it serviced regularly. If you don't service your car regularly, it will break down.

break off- interrupt (most often - suddenly) a conversation / friendship / acquaintance

I broke off our relations with him over a month ago. “More than a month ago, I broke off our relationship with him.

Idioms, phrases and phrasal verbs occupy a relatively large and undoubtedly important part in the daily communication of the modern English-speaking population. Without knowing this or that phrasal verb, which will now and then slip between words, it will be difficult to capture the essence of the whole message as a whole, which the interlocutor will try to convey. Therefore, the study of various lexical formations with the most popular verbs is simply recommended for those who wish to improve their level of language proficiency, as well as for general development, which will never be superfluous. After all, a person who is able to competently and diversify his thoughts in modern society is valued more than ever.

The prevalence of phrasal verbs in English always raises many questions for those who begin to learn the language. Subtle shades of meaning are very hard to remember at first. Confidence comes with practice, you just need to memorize the most important values, sometimes even just memorize them.

Let's go through some expressions in order to have an idea of ​​the intricacies of translating phrasal verbs with the word "break". The word "break" in the dictionary has a huge variety of translations and meanings. In general, it means "the process of moving from something whole to something smaller" or "destruction". Phrasal verbs with the word "break" have a huge number of meanings. Let's look at some of them.

A fly in the ointment

Since the word “break” itself already has some negative meaning (to break, break), it is quite obvious that many phrasal verbs derived from it will also have some negative connotation.

Break down - break, break

break down- this verb can characterize the state of mechanisms or human health. It has a somewhat negative connotation. In the case of mechanisms, it will mean "break or break", and in the case of people's health - "deteriorate, surrender." Compare:

• My drill has broken down.— My drill is broken. (The case with mechanisms)
• You can break down if you don't give up smoking. “You can undermine your health if you don’t quit smoking. (Regarding people)

Break in - break in, break in

Phrasal verb break in can have different meanings, it depends on the attitude to the subjects in the conversation. The basic meaning is "break in" or "break in".
For example:

Police broke into the house to neutralize the gangsters. The police broke into the house in order to neutralize the bandits.

But this is not all the meanings of this phrasal verb. If the described situation is connected with a conversation, then the verb break in can be translated as "to intervene". If you had to interrupt someone's conversation, then you can politely apologize by saying: I'm so sorry to break in on your conversation. “I apologize for interrupting your conversation.

The next value you may encounter using break in- this is “run in, go around”, for example, in the case when we are talking about horses or cars. Especially this use of this verb will be of interest to men. For example:

• It was difficult for him to break in this horse. It was difficult for him to ride this horse.
• You have to break in this new car. You need to break in this new car.

Break out - start, break out

break out has a very simple meaning and is therefore extremely easy to apply. Its main translation is “begin, break out, flare up”. Usually they say this about the beginning of a war or crisis. For example:

The world financial crisis broke out in 2008. — The global financial crisis began in 2008.

But you can also meet this verb in other contexts. Such a meaning break out how to "break out" can be used in the following form: We had to break the door out to escape from the fire. We had to break down the door to get out of the fire.

There is another meaning of the phrasal verb break out is "run away". This can apply to any situation where a person arbitrarily and secretly, perhaps with the use of force, leaves a place. For example:

three men broke out of prison yesterday. Three people escaped yesterday from prison.

Break off - fall off, break off

break off means “fall off, break off” - also not a very pleasant situation, which is better not to encounter. For example:

The wing of the plane broke off unexpectedly. The plane's wing suddenly fell off.

Break up - break up, fall apart

break up- another unpleasant situation that can happen not without the participation of phrasal verbs. This is the case when people end relationships, i.e. diverge. In this case we use the verb break up(diverge). For example:

Did you know that July and Tom broke up? Do you know that Julie and Tom have broken up?

But we can also use it in relation to inanimate objects in the meaning of "disintegrate, fall apart, stop." For example:

He tried to break up the fight between two friends. He was trying to break up a fight between two friends.

Forward and only forward!

There are several more phrasal verbs with the word "break". These are verbs like break through(break through, break through) break away(run away, escape) break loose(run away) and break forth(break out; break through). They, as you can see, have positive meanings, meaning some progress. Compare some examples:

• Finally the sun broke through after days of rain. Finally, after many rainy days, the sun came out.
• This part of the country wanted to break away and become independent. This part of the country wanted to secede and become independent.
• The army broke forth to the East. The army broke through to the east.
• Two prisoners broke loose but they were caught this morning. “Two prisoners escaped but were caught this morning.

As you can see, there are a lot of phrasal verbs with the word "break". There are even more different meanings and combinations of it, but they are quite easy to remember, because in one way or another they are all connected with the main meaning of "break" (break, break). More detailed translations and examples can be found in any online or offline dictionary. Depending on the context, you can use any of these phrasal verbs and thus make your speech richer, more varied and brighter.

List of useful phrases

break down - break, break, deteriorate
break in / into - break in, break in
broke out - run away, start, break out
break off - break off, fall off
breK up - break up, break up, stop
break through - break through, break through
break away - run away, escape
break loose - run away
break forth - break out, break through

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

In addition to its main meanings “to break, part, break”, as a phrasal verb, this verb has a dozen more meanings that you can hardly guess from the combination of the main meaning and the preposition (adverb). That is why we remember how it will be translated phrasal verb break in combination with various prepositions. And examples that illustrate the use of a particular phrasal verb break help to consolidate the material presented.

Phrasal verb meanings break

Among the meanings of the phrasal verb break there are also:

1. break away - break out (from prison), refuse (from old habits), break away (from the group); to disperse (about clouds), to get rid of something, to do away with something.
   

   When are you going to break away from this bad habit? When are you going to end this bad habit?

   I broke away from my old friends. I have moved away from my old friends.

   It was very cloudy in the morning, but soon the clouds broke away. It was very cloudy in the morning, but later the clouds dissipated.

2. break down - break down (door), break (resistance), give in, collapse, break loose (not withstand), break down, be insolvent, take apart, divide, deteriorate (about health), fail, burst into tears, etc.
   

   When she knew that her father died she broke down in tears. When she found out that her father had died, she burst into tears.

   Our car broke down about five kilometers out of the city and we had to walk home. Our car broke down five kilometers from the city and we had to walk home.

   my health broke down. “My health has deteriorated.

   I feel our relationship has broken down. I feel like our relationship is over.

3. Breakforth - to burst forward, to burst out, to exclaim.
   

   The new volcano broke forth in the valley. A new volcano has woken up in the valley. (A new volcano erupted in the valley).

   They broke forth into singing. - They sang loudly.

4. Break in - break in (at the door), ride out (horse), break in (shoes), interfere (in conversation), tame.
   

   Do you know how to break in a new car? Do you know how to break in a new car?

   The door of this house is open. Somebody might have broken in. - The door of the house is open. Perhaps someone broke into the house.

5. break into - suddenly start something, suddenly change the speed of movement, interrupt (conversation), break in, invade, burst out (laughter, tears).
   

   When he saw his daughter he broke into a broad smile. He smiled with all his teeth when he saw his daughter.

   The garage has been broken into three times this year. The garage has been broken into three times this year.

   Thief broke into bank laboratory. The thief broke into the bank toilet.

6. break off - break off, break off (relationships), terminate (engagement), shut up, stop (friendship), break off.
   

   He has broken off his engagement with Chrissy. He broke off his engagement to Chrissy.

   They were not satisfied with the terms of a contract so they decided to break off negotiations. - They were not satisfied with the terms of the contract and they decided to break off the negotiations.

   He was telling his ridiculous story and suddenly broke off. He was telling his ridiculous story and suddenly fell silent.

7. break out - run away, break out (about a fire), break out (about a war), come out (rash), appear, start.
   

   He was afraid of speaking in public. Being nervous he broke out into a sweat. He was afraid to speak in public. He was nervous and covered in sweat.

   The prisoner broke out. - The prisoner escaped.

   my son broke out in hives. “My son has an allergic rash.

8. break through - break through, break through, do, achieve, make a discovery, make a breakthrough, go ahead.
   

   the sun broke through heavy clouds over my city. – In my hometown, the sun broke through the clouds.

9. break up - blow up (earth), break (furniture), stop (meeting), bring discord into the family, deteriorate, change (about the weather), turn off, weaken, close (for holidays), etc.
   

   The party didn't break up until three in the morning. The guests dispersed (the party ended) only by three in the morning.

   school will break up next month. - School will end next month.

   Mike and I have broken up. Mike and I broke up.

   The crowd broke up. - The crowd dispersed.

   Clouds are breaking up, but the weather is dicey. The clouds are parting, but the weather is unpredictable.

As you can see, there are only nine positions in the list, and this is not so much for a phrasal verb, so don't put off learning a phrasal verb. break.

1) stop, stop

The police broke up the fight.
The police stopped the fight.

The party broke up when the police arrived.
The party was interrupted when the police showed up.

2) disperse, disintegrate (about a group, company), fall apart (about a family)

synonyms: bust up split

I hear that Joan and Steve are breaking up.
I heard that Joan and Steve are getting a divorce.

4) Briticism - to close for the holidays

When does your school break up?
When does your school close for holidays?

5) to break smb. up - upset

She says her sister is going to be married and that she fears it will break her up .
She says that her sister is going to get married, and she is afraid that this will bring her a lot of grief.

6) vernacular - weaken

synonyms: break down, crack up, crock

7) Americanism, vernacular - laugh

The camera had only to turn to Tommy Cooper for the audience to break up with laughter.
As soon as the camera aimed at Tommy Cooper, all the audience rolled with laughter.

8) to break smth. up - divide (smaller)

The job can be broken up into several activities, which provides some variety.
The work can be divided into different types of activities, which will add some variety to it.

The verb "break" has many meanings, the most common of which are:
to break, break (in pieces); destroy
Example: He fell through the window, breaking the glass. He fell out of the window, breaking the glass.

Together with the addition of a preposition / adverb, the verb takes on a different meaning:

break down - break, break
The prisoner's opposition broke down under repeated questioning.
Repeated interrogation broke the resistance of the arrested.

break down - worsen, pass (about health)
You will break down if you work too hard.
If you work too hard, you will lose your health.

Break in - break in, break in
The thieves waited until it was dark enough to break in.
The thieves waited until it was dark enough, and only then proceeded to break in.

Break in - intervene (in a conversation); interrupt (conversation)
But I was there, Jane broke in.
“But I was there,” Jane put in.

Break in - break in (clothes, shoes), run in (a new car)
Don "t drive the new car too fast, I" m still breaking it in.
Don't drive so fast, I'm still running this car.

Break in - interrupt (smth.)
The loud bell on the clock broke in upon his dreams.
The loud chime of the clock interrupted his sleep.

break into – invade using economic or political advantages; break in; light up; break out; rush
He felt so happy that he broke into song (= suddenly began to sing).
He felt happy that he suddenly sang a song.

break off - suddenly interrupt (conversation, acquaintance); suddenly stop (conversation, friendship, acquaintance)
I broke off with them over a year ago.

break out - break out, break through (from prison, etc.)
Forget about "em. Fast! - No. I can" t. I have to break out of here. Can it be done?
Forget about them. And faster! - No. I can't. I have to get out of here. Is it possible?

break out - flare up, explode (about war, fight, enmity, fire, noise, etc.)
But fighting may break out at any time, so we will work quickly.
But a fight could break out at any time, so we'll act quickly.

break out - flash, light up (smile); burst out (laughing); become covered (with perspiration, pimples, etc.)
Halston broke out in inspiration.
Halston broke into a sweat.

break up - stop, end
The party broke up when the police arrived.
The party was interrupted when the police showed up.

break up - disperse, disintegrate (about a group, company); to fall apart, fall apart (of a family)
I hear that Joan and Steve are breaking up.
I heard that Joan and Steve are getting a divorce.

break up – (Brit.) to close for the holidays
When does your school break up?
When does your school close for holidays?

break up - upset, upset the peace of mind
She says, her sister is going to be married and that she fears it will break her up.
She says that her sister is going to get married, and she is afraid that this will bring her a lot of grief.

break up - Amer.; unfold scary to have fun, burst with laughter
The camera had only to turn to Tommy Cooper for the audience to break up with laughter.
As soon as the camera aimed at Tommy Cooper, all the audience rolled with laughter.

break up to divide (into smaller parts)
The job can be broken up into several activities, which provides some variety.
The work can be divided into different types of activities, which will add some variety to it.

break up - disappear, interrupt (about a radio signal)
You are breaking up.
I can not hear you well. (i.e. you cannot be heard; while talking on a mobile phone)