quebrar

Quebrar is a Portuguese verb with core meanings related to breaking, smashing, or cracking something, and it can also describe failing or going bankrupt. It is primarily transitive, taking a direct object (quebrar algo), but many uses are idiomatic or figurative, such as breaking a rule, a promise, or the silence. In addition to physical breaking, the verb covers figurative senses like breaking a record (quebrar um recorde) or breaking a habit.

Conjugation and forms

In the present indicative, the standard forms are eu quebro, tu quebras, ele/ela quebra, nós quebramos, vós quebrais, eles/elas quebram. The pretérito perfeito (simple past) is eu quebrei, tu quebraste, ele quebrou, nós quebramos, vós quebrastes, eles quebraram. The imperfect is eu quebrava, tu quebravas, ele quebrava, nós quebrávamos, vós quebráveis, eles quebravam. The future is eu quebrarei, tu quebrarás, ele quebrará, nós quebraremos, vós quebrareis, eles quebrarão. The gerund is quebrando and the participle is quebrado. The verb retains a strong association with physical breaking, while also serving many figurative uses.

Usage notes

Quebrar can describe the physical destruction of objects or body parts (quebrar um vidro, quebrar um osso). It also means to fail financially, as in uma empresa que quebrou (a company went bankrupt). Expressions such as quebrar o silêncio, quebrar a cabeça, quebrar a promessa, and quebrar a banca are common in Brazilian and European Portuguese, with varying degrees of formality. Regional variants may affect pronunciation and some idioms, but the core meanings remain consistent.

Etymology

The verb derives from the historical Portuguese quebrar and is cognate with related Iberian Romance forms meaning to break. Its exact ancient root is often described as part of the broader Romance verb family for breakage, with no single definitive predecessor in all sources.