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"to break" in seven languages

Meaningto break

Spanish

romper

/romˈpeɾ/

inherited

French

casser

/kase/

other source · Latin QUASSĀRE 'to shake hard, shatter'

Rompre exists but is formal or figurative: rompre avec quelqu'un, 'to break up'.

Italian

rompere

/ˈrompere/

inherited

Portuguese

quebrar

/keˈbɾah/

other source · Latin CREPĀRE 'to crack'

Romanian

sparge

/ˈspardʒe/

other source · Latin SPARGERE 'to scatter'

Catalan

trencar

/tɾəŋˈka/

other source · of uncertain origin (Coromines proposes spoken Latin *TRINICĀRE 'to cut in three')

English

break

/bɹeɪk/

native English · Old English brecan

English → Italianto breakrompereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: rupture, interrupt, corrupt, bankrupt.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

RUMPERE‘to break, burst’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Spanish and Italian kept RUMPERE; everyday French took QUASSĀRE 'to shatter' and saves rompre for relationships. English bankrupt is Italian banca rotta, a 'broken bench'.

English relatives: rupture, interrupt, corrupt, bankrupt

Learn it

Practice the Core verbs deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esCuidado, no rompas el vaso.
  • frAttention, ne casse pas le verre.
  • itAttento, non rompere il bicchiere.
  • ptCuidado, não quebre o copo.
  • roAtenție, nu sparge paharul!
  • caCompte, no trenquis el got.
  • enCareful, don't break the glass.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words