avbröt

Avbröt is the preterite form of the Swedish verb avbryta, meaning to interrupt, discontinue, or stop something that is ongoing. It is used when referring to halting an activity, such as a meeting, a broadcast, a process, or a conversation, and it can also be used figuratively to withdraw from participation or to halt a plan or action. The related noun avbrott denotes an interruption or outage.

Etymology and form: The verb avbryta is formed from the prefix av- meaning away or off, combined with bryta meaning to break. The root bryta is related to Old Norse brjóta, and the prefix av- signals separation or cessation. The past tense avbröt is irregular in Swedish and used for active voice (jag avbröt, du avbröt, han avbröt, etc.), while the passive past form is avbröts (Mötet avbröts).

Conjugation and usage: Infinitive avbryta; present avbryter; past tense (preterite) avbröt; past participle avbruten; imperative avbryt. Examples: Hon avbröt mötet för att ställa en fråga. Mötet avbröts plötsligt när larmet gick. The verb commonly accompanies direct objects indicating what is interrupted, and appears in both literal and figurative contexts.

Notes: Avbröt is a standard, neutral term suitable for formal and informal regimer. It is often contrasted with avbrott (the interruption itself) and with avbryta i olika sammanhang where the nuance is to halt rather than to end permanently. In Swedish, tense and voice variations (active vs. passive) are used to convey who interrupts and under what circumstances.