brechen
to break
- Past (Präteritum)
- brach
- Past participle
- gebrochen (haben/sein)
Irregular strong verb requiring haben for the transitive action of breaking an object, while sein is used for the intransitive change of state where something breaks on its own. It is used literally for physical fracture and figuratively for breaking promises, hearts, or silence. The verb frequently appears in collocations such as das Eis brechen or ein Versprechen brechen. Do not confuse this with the secondary meaning of 'vomit', which is also covered by this verb in colloquial speech.
Conjugation
Present
- bricht
- present, singular, third-person
- breche
- first-person, indicative, present, singular
- brechen
- first-person, indicative, plural, present
- brichst
- indicative, present, second-person, singular
- brecht
- indicative, plural, present, second-person
- brech
- colloquial, first-person, form-of, present, singular
Past
- brach
- first-person, form-of, preterite, singular, third-person
- brachen
- first-person, indicative, plural, preterite
- brachst
- indicative, preterite, second-person, singular
- bracht
- indicative, plural, preterite, second-person
Subjunctive
- bräche
- past, subjunctive
- breche
- first-person, singular, subjunctive, subjunctive-i
- brechen
- first-person, plural, subjunctive, subjunctive-i
- brechest
- second-person, singular, subjunctive, subjunctive-i
- brechet
- plural, second-person, subjunctive, subjunctive-i
- brächen
- first-person, formal, plural, rare, subjunctive, subjunctive-ii
- brächest
- formal, rare, second-person, singular, subjunctive, subjunctive-ii
- brächst
- formal, rare, second-person, singular, subjunctive, subjunctive-ii
- brächet
- formal, plural, rare, second-person, subjunctive, subjunctive-ii
- brächt
- formal, plural, rare, second-person, subjunctive, subjunctive-ii
- habe gebrochen
- first-person, multiword-construction, perfect, singular, subjunctive
- sei gebrochen
- first-person, multiword-construction, perfect, singular, subjunctive
- haben gebrochen
- first-person, multiword-construction, perfect, plural, subjunctive
- seien gebrochen
- first-person, multiword-construction, perfect, plural, subjunctive
- habest gebrochen
- multiword-construction, perfect, second-person, singular, subjunctive
- seist gebrochen
- multiword-construction, perfect, second-person, singular, subjunctive
- seiest gebrochen
- multiword-construction, perfect, second-person, singular, subjunctive
- habet gebrochen
- multiword-construction, perfect, plural, second-person, subjunctive
- seiet gebrochen
- multiword-construction, perfect, plural, second-person, subjunctive
- hätte gebrochen
- first-person, multiword-construction, pluperfect, singular, subjunctive
- wäre gebrochen
- first-person, multiword-construction, pluperfect, singular, subjunctive
- hätten gebrochen
- first-person, multiword-construction, pluperfect, plural, subjunctive
- wären gebrochen
- first-person, multiword-construction, pluperfect, plural, subjunctive
- hättest gebrochen
- multiword-construction, pluperfect, second-person, singular, subjunctive
- wärst gebrochen
- multiword-construction, pluperfect, second-person, singular, subjunctive
- wärest gebrochen
- multiword-construction, pluperfect, second-person, singular, subjunctive
- hättet gebrochen
- multiword-construction, pluperfect, plural, second-person, subjunctive
- wärt gebrochen
- multiword-construction, pluperfect, plural, second-person, subjunctive
- wäret gebrochen
- multiword-construction, pluperfect, plural, second-person, subjunctive
- werde brechen
- first-person, future, future-i, multiword-construction, singular, subjunctive, subjunctive-i
Imperative
- brich
- imperative, second-person, singular
- brecht
- imperative, plural, second-person
- brech
- colloquial, form-of, imperative, singular
Participle
- gebrochen
- participle, past
- brechend
- participle, present
Infinitive
- brechen
- infinitive
Other
- habe gebrochen
- first-person, indicative, multiword-construction, perfect, singular
- bin gebrochen
- first-person, indicative, multiword-construction, perfect, singular
- haben gebrochen
- first-person, indicative, multiword-construction, perfect, plural
- sind gebrochen
- first-person, indicative, multiword-construction, perfect, plural
- hast gebrochen
- indicative, multiword-construction, perfect, second-person, singular
- bist gebrochen
- indicative, multiword-construction, perfect, second-person, singular
- habt gebrochen
- indicative, multiword-construction, perfect, plural, second-person
- seid gebrochen
- indicative, multiword-construction, perfect, plural, second-person
- hat gebrochen
- indicative, multiword-construction, perfect, singular, third-person
- ist gebrochen
- indicative, multiword-construction, perfect, singular, third-person
- hatte gebrochen
- first-person, indicative, multiword-construction, pluperfect, singular
- war gebrochen
- first-person, indicative, multiword-construction, pluperfect, singular
- hatten gebrochen
- first-person, indicative, multiword-construction, pluperfect, plural
- waren gebrochen
- first-person, indicative, multiword-construction, pluperfect, plural
- hattest gebrochen
- indicative, multiword-construction, pluperfect, second-person, singular
- warst gebrochen
- indicative, multiword-construction, pluperfect, second-person, singular
- hattet gebrochen
- indicative, multiword-construction, pluperfect, plural, second-person
- wart gebrochen
- indicative, multiword-construction, pluperfect, plural, second-person
- brechen werden
- future, future-i, infinitive, multiword-construction
- werde brechen
- first-person, future, future-i, indicative, multiword-construction, singular
- werden brechen
- first-person, future, future-i, indicative, multiword-construction, plural
- wirst brechen
- future, future-i, indicative, multiword-construction, second-person, singular
- werdet brechen
- future, future-i, indicative, multiword-construction, plural, second-person
- wird brechen
- future, future-i, indicative, multiword-construction, singular, third-person
- gebrochen haben werden
- future, future-ii, infinitive, multiword-construction
- gebrochen sein werden
- future, future-ii, infinitive, multiword-construction
- werde gebrochen haben
- first-person, future, future-ii, indicative, multiword-construction, singular
- werde gebrochen sein
- first-person, future, future-ii, indicative, multiword-construction, singular
- werden gebrochen haben
- first-person, future, future-ii, indicative, multiword-construction, plural
- werden gebrochen sein
- first-person, future, future-ii, indicative, multiword-construction, plural