Portuguese · Everyday Verbs
"to break" in Portuguese: quebrar
quebrar
Note: PT-PT also: partir
To break in Portuguese is quebrar. Say eu quebro for habits and eu quebrei when something already snapped—glasses, phones, promises.
Dropped glass
Quebrei o copo na pia sem querer.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce quebrar
Say it
keh-BRAR / KEH-broo / keh-BRAY
/ke.ˈbɾaʁ/
keh-BRAR. Eu quebro is KEH-broo; quebrei is keh-BRAY
"to break" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| quebrar | to break Dictionary form. | Dictionary form. |
| eu quebro | I break Present first person. | Present first person. |
| eu quebrei | I broke Past mishap. | Past mishap. |
| está quebrado | it's broken Result state. | Result state. |
| quebrou | it/he/she broke Third person past. | Third person past. |
How to use quebrar in real life
- 1Dropped glass
Quebrei o copo na pia sem querer.
I broke the glass in the sink by accident.
Quebrei = I broke.
- 2Phone screen
Meu celular quebrou na queda da mesa.
My phone broke in the fall from the table.
Quebrou = it broke.
- 3Gym habit joke
Sempre quebro a dieta no domingo.
I always break the diet on Sunday.
Quebro figurative.
Mistakes English speakers make with quebrar
Incorrect: Eu partir o copo. (as BR break)
Correct: Eu quebrei o copo.
Quebrar is the usual Brazilian verb; partir is more PT-PT here.
Incorrect: Eu quebrar o vaso.
Correct: Eu quebrei o vaso. / Eu quebro o vaso.
Conjugate: quebrei or quebro.
Good to know
Brazilians say sem querer after quebrei to stress it was accidental. For hearts and promises, quebrar also works figuratively: quebrei a promessa.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Kitchen cleanup after a drop
ChatPal
Ouvi um barulho—você quebrou algo?
I heard a noise—did you break something?
You
Quebrei um prato. Desculpa!
I broke a plate. Sorry!
ChatPal
Tranquilo. Eu também quebro coisas às vezes.
No worries. I break things sometimes too.
You
Vou varrer agora.
I'll sweep now.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to break" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to break" in Portuguese
I broke it?
Eu quebrei.
It's broken?
Está quebrado / quebrada.
Break a promise?
Quebrar uma promessa.
Partir?
Heard in Portugal for break; Brazil leans on quebrar.
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- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
