Break past tense: broke, broken
shatter, fracture
Break is an irregular English verb: the past simple of break is broke and the past participle is broken. Learn the three forms together — break – broke – broken.
Verb forms
Base form
/breɪk/
Past Simple
/brəʊk/
Past Participle
/ˈbrəʊkən/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · break
Glasses break easily, so pack them carefully.
Past Simple · broke
He broke his arm playing football.
Past Participle · broken
My phone screen has broken again.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I break he / she / it breaks | I broke | I have broken |
| Present Continuous:I am breaking · he / she / it is breaking | ||
Common collocations
break a record
to do better than anyone before
break the news
to tell someone important news
break a promise
to fail to keep your word
Grammar guide
Break belongs to the ABC group: all three forms are different (break – broke – broken), so each form has to be learnt separately.
- Past simple – broke: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – broken: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you break…? I didn’t break.
Verbs with the same pattern
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about break
- What is the past simple of break?
- The past simple of break is broke.
- What is the past participle of break?
- The past participle of break is broken.
- What are the three forms of break?
- The three forms are break – broke – broken: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is break a regular or an irregular verb?
- Break is irregular: its past simple is broke, not breaked.