Inklingo

How to Say "shatters" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word forshattersis rompeuse 'rompe' when referring to something breaking in a general sense, including abstract things like rules or promises, or even physical objects that are not necessarily fragile..

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rompe

Rohm-peh/ˈrompe/

VerbA1General
Use 'rompe' when referring to something breaking in a general sense, including abstract things like rules or promises, or even physical objects that are not necessarily fragile.
A cartoon child wearing a green shirt uses both hands to forcefully snap a brown wooden stick completely in half, illustrating the action of breaking.

Examples

El equipo rompió la racha de victorias del oponente.

The team shattered the opponent's winning streak.

Ella siempre rompe las reglas de la casa.

She always breaks the house rules.

El viento rompe las ramas más débiles de los árboles.

The wind breaks the weakest branches of the trees.

Usted rompe el silencio con una pregunta difícil.

You (formal) break the silence with a difficult question.

Third Person Action

'Rompe' is the form you use when the action is done by a single person ('he,' 'she') or thing ('it'), or when you are talking formally to one person ('usted').

Using 'rompe' for 'I break'

Mistake:Yo rompe el vaso.

Correction: The correct form for 'I' is 'Yo rompo el vaso.' Remember the 'o' ending for 'yo' in the present tense.

quiebra

/KYEH-brah//ˈkje.βɾa/

VerbB1General
Use 'quiebra' specifically when talking about fragile materials like glass or ceramic that break into pieces.
A hand holding a wooden stick that is snapping in the middle.

Examples

El jarrón antiguo se quiebra con solo tocarlo.

The antique vase shatters with just a touch.

Ese cristal se quiebra fácilmente.

That glass breaks easily.

Ella nunca quiebra sus promesas.

She never breaks her promises.

The 'e' to 'ie' swap

The 'e' in the middle of 'quebrar' turns into 'ie' whenever that part of the word is emphasized while speaking (like in 'quiebra' or 'quiebro').

Abstract vs. Physical Breaking

The most common mistake is using 'quiebra' for abstract concepts. Remember that 'rompe' is the go-to verb for breaking things like rules, silence, or promises, while 'quiebra' is reserved for physical, fragile items.

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