Inklingo

How to Say "broke up" in Spanish

English → Spanish

terminaron

tehr-mee-NAH-rohn/teɾmiˈnaɾon/

VerbA2Informal
Use 'terminaron' (plural) when referring to two or more people who ended a romantic relationship together.
Two simple, stylized human figures walking away from each other on separate, diverging paths in a green field, symbolizing the end of their relationship.

Examples

María y Juan terminaron después de salir por dos años.

Maria and Juan broke up after dating for two years.

Mis vecinos terminaron después de cinco años de noviazgo.

My neighbors broke up after five years of dating.

Las negociaciones terminaron sin un acuerdo final.

The negotiations concluded without a final agreement.

Los Juegos Olímpicos terminaron con una gran ceremonia.

The Olympic Games ended with a great ceremony.

Intransitive Use

In this context, 'terminaron' means the event or relationship itself stopped. It doesn't need a direct object (you don't finish something).

Using 'final' instead of 'terminaron'

Mistake: “Decir 'Ellos hicieron el final' para 'They broke up.'”

Correction: The verb form 'terminaron' is necessary. 'Ellos terminaron' is the natural way to say 'They broke up.'

rompió

VerbB1Neutral
Use 'rompió' (singular) when one person initiated the breakup, ending a romantic relationship with someone else.

Examples

Ella rompió con su novio por teléfono.

She broke up with her boyfriend over the phone.

VerbA2Neutral
Use 'terminó' (singular) to indicate the end of something non-personal, like an event, a movie, or a period of time, not a relationship.

Examples

La clase de español terminó a las tres de la tarde.

The Spanish class ended at three in the afternoon.

Relationship Endings vs. General Endings

Learners often confuse 'terminó' with relationship breakups. Remember that 'terminó' is for non-personal endings (like a movie or class), while 'terminaron' or 'rompió' specifically refer to people ending a romantic relationship.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.