breve
“breve” means “brief” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
brief, short
Also: quick
📝 In Action
Hagamos una pausa breve antes de continuar.
A1Let's take a brief pause before continuing.
Su discurso fue muy breve y directo.
A2His speech was very short and direct.
En breve, te explico el plan.
B1In short, I'll explain the plan to you. (Common phrase: 'en breve')
Papal brief
Also: summary
📝 In Action
El Vaticano publicó un breve para aclarar el dogma.
C1The Vatican published a Papal brief to clarify the dogma.
El juez solicitó un breve sobre el caso.
B2The judge requested a summary/brief on the case.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: breve
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'breve'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word *brevis*, which meant 'short' or 'low'. This root also gave English words like 'brief' and 'brevity'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'breve' and 'corto'?
'Breve' almost always refers to time (a brief moment, a short meeting) or conciseness (a short summary). 'Corto' usually refers to physical length (a short rope, a short skirt) or height, although it can occasionally refer to time as well.
Does 'breve' change depending on if the noun is masculine or feminine?
No. 'Breve' is an easy adjective because it is the same for masculine and feminine singular nouns (e.g., 'el momento breve' and 'la pausa breve'). It only changes to 'breves' in the plural.