brechen
to break
To split something hard or brittle into two or more pieces by force. This also includes bone injuries.
EXAMPLE
Er hat den Ast mit einem lauten Knacken gebrochen.
He broke the branch with a loud crack.
brechen
to break
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Meanings
brechen
to break
To deliberately fail to follow a rule, law, promise, or agreement.
EXAMPLE
Wer einen Vertrag bricht, muss mit Konsequenzen rechnen.
Anyone who breaks a contract must expect consequences.
brechen
to break
To fall apart by itself or come apart at a certain point. Often used for waves.
EXAMPLE
Die Wellen brechen sich tosend an den Felsen.
The waves break thunderously against the rocks.
sich brechen
to vomit
To throw up; to empty the contents of the stomach through the mouth. Often used as a euphemism.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem verdorbenen Essen musste er sich die ganze Nacht brechen.
After the spoiled food, he had to vomit all night.
brechen
to break
To surpass a previous best performance, for example in sports.
EXAMPLE
Die Athletin hat den alten Weltrekord um zwei Sekunden gebrochen.
The athlete broke the old world record by two seconds.
brechen
to break
To destroy a person's will or resistance.
EXAMPLE
Durch die Folter versuchten sie, seinen Willen zu brechen.
Through torture, they tried to break his will.
brechen
to refract
In physics, to change the direction of a light or sound ray when it passes from one medium into another.
EXAMPLE
Ein Löffel in einem Wasserglas scheint geknickt, weil das Wasser das Licht bricht.
A spoon in a glass of water appears bent because the water refracts the light.
Usage tips
Transitive vs. intransitive
'Brechen' (to break) can be used transitively (with an accusative object) or intransitively (without an object). Transitive means that someone or something actively breaks something. Intransitive means that something breaks by itself.
EXAMPLE
Sie bricht den Schokoladenriegel in zwei Hälften.
She breaks the chocolate bar into two halves.
Expressing bone fractures
When someone breaks a bone, German uses a dative construction: 'sich (Dativ) etwas (Akkusativ) brechen' (to break something). The person is in the dative, and the body part is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mir beim Skifahren das Bein gebrochen.
I broke my leg while skiing.
Breaking abstract things
In this meaning, 'brechen' (to break) is used with abstract nouns that represent a rule or agreement. Typical collocations are 'ein Versprechen brechen' (to break a promise), 'das Gesetz brechen' (to break the law), 'sein Wort brechen' (to break one's word), or 'das Schweigen brechen' (to break the silence).
EXAMPLE
Er hat sein Versprechen gebrochen, pünktlich zu sein.
He broke his promise to be on time.
Context clue: waves
When the subject of the sentence is 'Wellen' (waves), 'brechen' (to break) is always used intransitively. It describes the natural movement of waves as they reach the shore or obstacles.
EXAMPLE
Wir saßen am Strand und sahen zu, wie die Wellen am Ufer brachen.
We sat on the beach and watched the waves break on the shore.
Reflexive and elevated
In the meaning of 'sich übergeben' (to vomit), the verb is always used reflexively: 'sich brechen' (to vomit). This formulation is considered somewhat more formal or a euphemism (a softened expression).
EXAMPLE
Dem Jungen wurde auf der langen Autofahrt schlecht und er musste sich brechen.
The boy felt sick on the long car ride and had to vomit.
Typical collocation: record
In a sports or competitive context, the most common and almost the only collocation is 'einen Rekord brechen' (to break a record).
EXAMPLE
Der Schwimmer hofft, bei den Olympischen Spielen den Weltrekord zu brechen.
The swimmer hopes to break the world record at the Olympic Games.
Context clue: physics
When 'brechen' (to refract) is used in a scientific context with 'Licht' (light) or 'Schall' (sound) as the object, it means 'to refract'. The subject is the medium that causes the refraction (e.g., water, glass).
EXAMPLE
Ein Prisma bricht das weiße Licht in seine Spektralfarben.
A prism refracts white light into its spectral colors.
Compare with
brechen vs überwinden
to overcome
Both words can express that a person’s resistance is successfully ended. „Brechen“ emphasizes more strongly that the will or resistance is destroyed, while „überwinden“ highlights successfully overcoming the difficulty. „Brechen“ is suitable for broken resistance, while „überwinden“ is used for a challenge that has been overcome.
brechen
Die lange Gefangenschaft konnte schließlich seinen Widerstand brechen.
The long imprisonment was eventually able to break his resistance.
überwinden
Mit Geduld konnte die Ärztin seine Angst vor der Behandlung überwinden.
With patience, the doctor was able to overcome his fear of the treatment.
In real life
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