Dutch Verb Breken ('to Break, Crack') - Smartphones Page

Breken 'to break, crack' is a strong verb:

breken to break

-

brak broke

-

gebroken broken

overview
breken		to crack, break
ik breek		I'm breaking
wij breken		we're breaking
ik brak		I broke
wij braken		we broke
ik heb gebroken		I have broken

simple present tense
breken		to break
ik breek		I break
jij breekt		you break (singular, informal you)
hij breekt		he breaks
wij breken		we break
jullie breken		you break (plural, informal you)
zij breken		they break
U breekt		you (polite you)
2

simple past tense
(breken)		to break
ik brak		I broke
jij brak		you broke
hij brak		he broke
wij braken		we broke
jullie braken		y'all broke
zij braken		they broke
U brak		you broke
2

wij braken we broke, we were breaking
see also below

ik heb gebroken 2 I have broken the past participle:
gebroken broken

Sample Sentences

sperziebonen breken 2 snapping French beans

Nou breekt m'n klomp 'That takes the cake/biscuit.' - Literally: 'Now that breaks my clog, that makes my wooden shoe fall apart.' (expression of amazement)

(het) gebroken zwaard 2 ('broken sword')

mijn gebroken stem my [cracked] croaking voice example:  smijten to throw in anger ('to smite')

breekbaar breakable, fragile fragiel 2 fragile, very vulnerable (also figuratively)

Compound Verbs with 'Breken'

'Aanbreken'  2 3 is 'to begin, start' or 'to begin with, start on'
De dag breekt aan The day begins - more beginnings Bij 't krieken van de dag At daybreak Breek 't niet aan 2 3 4 5 Don't start on it, don't open it (food or snacks packages)

baanbrekend innovating, trailblazing (~paradigm-shifting)

afbreken 2 3 1. to break down, take down, demolish, destroy
2. to break off, interrupt (de) afbraak 2 demolition

inbreken 2 [breaking into a house to steal stuff] - to burglarize (de) inbreker 2 burglar ‑>>
(de) inbraak 2 burglary
Er is ingebroken 2 3 There has been a burglary

onderbreken 2 3 to interrupt
Wij onderbreken ... 2 We interrupt ...
(de) onderbreking 2 interruption, break
ononderbroken 2 3 uninterrupted

ontbreken - to lack, be missing
Dat ontbrak er nog maar aan! That was still missing from it! - Another unpleasant complication, adding to the misery De wil ontbreekt 2 3 4 The will is lacking, there is no willingness

openbreken - to break open
Breek me de bek niet open! '[Don't force-open my mouth] Don't get me started, I don't want to talk about it.'
- But with a strong undertone that the speaker would have a lot of negative things to say about it.

Related Words

'Brak' 2 3 is the simple past singular of breken but it can also mean 'somewhat salty,' said of water, like English 'brackish' - brak water 2

braken 2 3 is the simple past plural of breken 'to break, crack' but it is also a verb meaning 'to vomit, throw up.' So
wij braken 1. we were breaking, we broke
2. we are vomiting, throwing up

brokkelig 2 crumbly, brittle

(de) breuk 2 fraction; break, fracture
plural: breuken fractions; breaks, fractures
- more fractions fractions
(de) breuklijn 2 line of break, crack // fault line (de) huisvredebreuk 2 [house-peace-breaking] - unlawful entry (de) inbreuk op privacy invasion, violation of privacy (de) schipbreuk 2 3 4 shipwreck, destruction of ship (de) wolkbreuk cloudburst (sudden heavy rain)

geradbraakt 2 'broken on the wheel' - the medieval torture in which a prisoner's bones were broken and muscles were ripped.  (Het) rad 2 3 is an old word for 'wheel.' The torture was still in use in Holland in the early 17th Century. You can say:
"Ik voel me geradbraakt" 2 3 when your bones and muscles hurt all over, especially in your arms and legs.

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