Irregular verb
break
/breɪk/
- Base
- break
- Past simple
- broke
- Past participle
- broken
Usage
broke names the event; broken works both after have/has/had and as an adjective, as in a broken cup.
Meaning
- to damage something so it separates or stops working
Example
I have broken my favourite cup.
She broke her arm while skiing.
The washing machine broke down again this morning.
Teaching note
Break follows the productive break–broke–broken pattern shared by verbs such as speak and wake, but each form still has a distinct grammatical job.
Common mistake
Avoid ‘I have broke the handle’; broke is the simple-past form and does not follow have.
Correction: Use ‘I broke the handle yesterday’ for a dated event, or ‘I have broken the handle’ when its present result matters.