rompieron

Rompieron is the third-person plural form of the Spanish verb romper in the pretérito indefinido (past simple). It translates roughly as “they broke” and is also used for “you (plural) broke” when the subjects are ustedes. The form is employed to describe completed actions in the past.

Origin and form: Romper comes from Latin rumpere. In the pretérito indefinido, rompón forms are regular for this verb, with the stem romp- plus the endings -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. Rompieron specifically corresponds to ellos/ellas/ustedes as the subject. It should not be confused with the singular form rompió (él/ella/usted) or with vosotros forms like rompisteis.

Usage: Rompieron can describe the literal breaking of objects, as in Los niños rompieron la ventana (The children broke the window). It can also be used figuratively or in achievement contexts, such as Romperon el récord (They broke the record). The verb frequently appears in narrative past events and reports.

Grammatical notes: Rompieron requires a plural subject. In some contexts, romper can take a direct object referring to physical items, or a more abstract object such as a rule, a record, or a contract. The construction remains common across dialects of Spanish, though stylistic preferences may vary between regions for narrative past forms.

See also: romper, pretérito indefinido, verb conjugation patterns in -er verbs.