rompió
/roh-MPEE-oh/
broke
When referring to a physical object, rompió means "he/she/it broke" it.
rompió(verb)
broke
?physical object
,shattered
?glass, ceramic
cracked
?surface
,fractured
?bone
📝 In Action
El niño rompió el juguete nuevo accidentalmente.
A1The child broke the new toy accidentally.
Mi teléfono se rompió cuando se cayó del escritorio.
A2My phone broke when it fell off the desk.
Usted rompió la ventana al tirar la pelota.
A2You (formal) broke the window by throwing the ball.
💡 Grammar Points
The Preterite Tense
'Rompió' is the simple past tense, used for actions that started and finished at a specific point in the past. It means the breaking happened once and is complete.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'Estar Roto' vs. 'Se Rompió'
Mistake: "Using 'Estaba roto' (It was broken) when describing the moment of breaking."
Correction: Use 'Se rompió' (It broke) to describe the action. 'Estaba roto' describes the state after the action.
⭐ Usage Tips
Reflexive Use for Accidents
To show the breaking was accidental or not the subject's fault, use 'se rompió' (e.g., 'Se me rompió la taza' - The cup broke on me).
Rompió can mean "he/she/it broke up" a relationship.
rompió(verb)
broke up
?relationship
,ended
?a relationship or agreement
broke (a promise)
?promise or oath
,interrupted (the silence)
?silence
📝 In Action
Después de tres años, ella rompió con él sin explicación.
B1After three years, she broke up with him without explanation.
Lamentablemente, rompió su promesa de confidencialidad.
B2Unfortunately, he broke his promise of confidentiality.
Un fuerte trueno rompió el silencio de la noche.
B1A loud clap of thunder broke the silence of the night.
💡 Grammar Points
Breaking Rules and Promises
When 'romper' is used figuratively for rules or promises, it means 'to violate' or 'to fail to keep.' The action is still completed, so the preterite 'rompió' is appropriate.
⭐ Usage Tips
Relationship Breakups
Always use 'romper con [persona]' (to break up with [person]) for relationships. The preposition 'con' is essential here.
When achieving a new best, rompió means "he/she/it broke" a record.
rompió(verb)
broke
?a record
,surpassed
?a previous limit
exceeded
?a limit
📝 In Action
El corredor rompió el récord olímpico en la final.
B2The runner broke the Olympic record in the final.
La nueva película rompió la taquilla en su primer fin de semana.
C1The new movie broke the box office record in its first weekend.
💡 Grammar Points
Use with Records
When used with 'récord' (record), 'rompió' means the person or thing achieved a better result than ever before.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: rompió
Question 1 of 2
Which English sentence correctly uses the meaning of 'rompió' related to relationships?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'rompió' and 'roto'?
'Rompió' is an action that happened in the past (He/She/It broke). 'Roto' is the description of the state after the action (broken). For example, 'Ella rompió el plato' (She broke the plate) but 'El plato está roto' (The plate is broken).
Why does 'rompió' sound like 'rohn-PYOH' instead of 'rohn-PEE-oh'?
The 'i' and 'o' together create a special sound called a diphthong, meaning the two vowel sounds blend together quickly into one syllable (pio), not two separate syllables (pí-o). This is common in Spanish when an unstressed 'i' or 'u' follows another vowel.