| Locuciones verbales |
| Inglés | Español |
| break apart vi phrasal | literal (fall to pieces) | destrozarse⇒ v prnl |
| (figurado) | hacerse pedazos loc verb |
| (figurado) | hacerse añicos loc verb |
| The dam broke apart because of the force of flood waters. |
| El dique se destrozó por la fuerza de las inundaciones. |
| El dique se hizo pedazos debido a la fuerza de las inundaciones. |
| El dique se hizo añicos debido a la fuerza de las inundaciones. |
| colapsar⇒ vtr |
| El dique colapsó por la fuerza de las inundaciones. |
| (ES, AR coloquial) | descuajeringarse⇒ v prnl |
| El dique se descuajaringó por la fuerza de las inundaciones. |
| hacerse trizas loc verb |
| El dique se hizo trizas debido a la fuerza de las inundaciones. |
| break [sth] apart vtr phrasal sep | (disassemble) | desarmar⇒ vtr |
| desmontar⇒ vtr |
| desmantelar⇒ vtr |
| Lizzie broke the jigsaw puzzle apart and put the pieces back in their box. |
| Lizzie desarmó el rompecabezas y puso las piezas de nuevo en la caja. |
break [sth] apart,
break apart [sth] vtr phrasal sep | figurative (destroy) (figurado) | destruir⇒ vtr |
| desarmar⇒ vtr |
| separar⇒ vtr |
| This zoning issue will break apart the community. |
| Este tema de la zonificación destruirá la comunidad. |
| break away vi phrasal | (become separate) | separarse⇒ v prnl |
| desvincularse⇒ v prnl |
| (ES, coloquial) | partir peras loc verb |
| romper⇒ vi |
| Note: The single-word form is used when the term is a noun |
| Two of the members of the band broke away to form a band of their own. |
| Dos de los miembros se separaron del grupo para formar una banda propia. |
| break away from [sth/sb] vi phrasal + prep | figurative (separate: from group) (persona, grupo) | separarse de, alejarse de, irse de, distanciarse de v prnl + prep |
| romper con vtr + prep |
| Several members broke away from the party to form their own extremist group. |
| Muchos miembros se separaron del partido para formar su propio grupo extremista. |
| break away from [sth] vi phrasal + prep | (detach, fall off) | soltarse de v prnl + prep |
| desprenderse de v prnl + prep |
| When Sue went to take her cakes out of the oven, the handle broke away from the door. |
| Cuando Sue fue a sacar los pasteles del horno, la manija se soltó de la puerta. |
| break back vi phrasal | (tennis: win after losing previous game) | volver⇒ vtr |
| Federer broke back to win the third game. |
| Federer volvió a ganar el tercer juego. |
| break back to [sb] vi phrasal + prep | (sports: return to original position) | volver a vtr + prep |
| The goalkeeper saved the shot, but the ball broke back to Smith, who scored. |
| El portero salvó el tiro, pero la pelota volvió a Smith, que hizo el gol. |
| break down vi phrasal | (machine: stop working) | averiarse⇒ v prnl |
| romperse⇒ v prnl |
| Note: The single-word form is used when the term is a noun. |
| The car broke down on the way home. |
| El auto se averió camino a casa. |
| break down vi phrasal | figurative (person: cry) | ponerse a llorar, romper a llorar loc verb |
| largarse a llorar loc verb |
| (PR) | desmelenarse⇒ v prnl |
| Stella broke down when the police told her about her husband's accident. |
| Stella se puso a llorar cuando la policía le contó sobre el accidente de su marido. |
| break down vi phrasal | figurative (collapse, become weak) | colapsar⇒ vi |
| hundirse⇒ v prnl |
| desmoronarse⇒, derrumbarse⇒ v prnl |
| The union called a strike after talks broke down over retirement benefits. |
| El sindicato llamó a una huelga luego de que las negociaciones sobre las jubilaciones colapsaran. |
break [sth] down,
break down [sth] vtr phrasal sep | (door, wall: knock down) (puertas, paredes) | tirar abajo loc verb |
| echar abajo loc verb |
| derribar⇒ vtr |
| The police broke down the door when they raided the house. |
| La policía tiró abajo la puerta cuando allanaron la casa. |
break [sth] down,
break down [sth] vtr phrasal sep | (substance: disintegrate) | descomponer⇒ vtr |
| Stomach acid breaks down food during digestion. |
| Los ácidos estomacales descomponen la comida durante la digestión. |
break [sth] down,
break down [sth] vtr phrasal sep | figurative (analyze) (analizar) | descomponer⇒ vtr |
| desglosar⇒ vtr |
| analizar⇒ vtr |
| We can break down the process into a number of separate stages. |
| Podemos descomponer el proceso en un número de etapas separadas. |
| break forth vi phrasal | (emerge, happen suddenly) | desatarse⇒ v prnl |
| break in vi phrasal | (enter by force) | forzar la entrada loc verb |
| Thieves broke in and raided the safe. |
| Los ladrones forzaron la entrada y abrieron la caja de seguridad. |
| break in vi phrasal | figurative (interrupt) | interrumpir⇒ vtr |
| Please excuse me for breaking in. |
| Discúlpeme por interrumpir. |
break [sth] in,
break in [sth] vtr phrasal sep | UK (horse: tame, train) | domar⇒ vtr |
| amoldar⇒ vtr |
| acostumbrar⇒ vtr |
| Matt breaks in horses for the racetrack. |
| Matt doma caballos para las carreras. |
break [sth] in,
break in [sth] vtr phrasal sep | US (car, engine: run in, use when new) | hacerle el rodaje a loc verb + prep |
| (coloquial) | despegar⇒, asentar⇒ vtr |
| It's best to break the engine in slowly. |
| Es mejor hacerle el rodaje al motor poco a poco. |
break [sth] in,
break in [sth] vtr phrasal sep | (shoes, etc.: soften by wearing) (zapatos) | ablandar⇒ vtr |
| amoldar⇒ vtr |
| It sometimes takes time to break new shoes in. |
| A veces cuesta ablandar los zapatos nuevos. |
break [sb] in,
break in [sb] vtr phrasal sep | (train [sb] to do a job) | entrenar a vtr + prep |
| The company runs a three-month programme to break in new employees. |
| La compañía tiene un programa de tres meses para entrenar a los nuevos empleados. |
| break into [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (building: enter by force) | asaltar⇒ vtr |
| allanar⇒ vtr |
| Thieves broke into the house and stole several items of jewellery. |
| Los ladrones asaltaron la casa y robaron joyas. |
| break into [sth] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (smile, song, run: start suddenly) | comenzar de repente loc verb |
| arrancarse a v prnl + prep |
| I was surprised when the old lady suddenly broke into song. |
| Me sorprendí cuando la anciana comenzó de repente a cantar. |
| Me sorprendió que la señora se arrancase a cantar. |
| break into [sth] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (conversation: interrupt) | interrumpir⇒ vtr |
| (en conversación) | meterse⇒ v prnl |
| Gary broke into our conversation to announce that dinner was ready. |
| Gloria interrumpió nuestra conversación para anunciar que la cena estaba servida. |
| break into [sth] vtr phrasal insep | figurative (field of work) | iniciarse⇒ v prnl |
| probar suerte loc verb |
| Joanna wants to break into digital marketing to advance her career. |
| Juana quiere iniciarse en marketing digital para mejorar sus oportunidades laborales. |
| Juana quiere probar suerte con el marketing digital para mejorar sus oportunidades laborales. |
| break off vi phrasal | (become detached) | desprenderse⇒ v prnl |
| The door handle became loose and eventually broke off. |
| La manija de la puerta se aflojó y finalmente se desprendió. |
| break [sth] off vtr phrasal sep | (snap, detach) | partir⇒ vtr |
| Olga broke off a large piece from the chocolate bar. |
| Olga partió una parte de la barra de chocolate. |
| break [sth] off vtr phrasal sep | figurative, informal (terminate) | terminar⇒ vtr |
| suspender⇒ vtr |
| Matt and Glenda have decided to break off their engagement. |
| Matías y Gloria decidieron terminar su compromiso. |
| poner fin loc verb |
| Matías y Gloria decidieron poner fin a su compromiso. |
| break out vi phrasal | (escape) | fugarse⇒ v prnl |
| escaparse⇒ v prnl |
| (formal, en desuso) | evadirse⇒ v prnl |
| The prisoners broke out and managed to get past the guards. |
| Los prisioneros se fugaron y lograron pasar a los guardias. |
| break out of [sth] vi phrasal + prep | (escape) | escaparse de v prnl + prep |
| The prisoner broke out of jail by digging a tunnel. |
| break out vi phrasal | (war, disease, chaos: begin) | estallar⇒ vi |
| The restaurant was calm until a thrown bottle caused a fight to break out. |
| El restaurante estaba tranquilo hasta que alguien tiró una botella e hizo estallar una pelea. |
| break out vi phrasal | (develop spots on skin) | salir granos loc verb |
| salir manchas loc verb |
| I ate too much sugar and now I'm breaking out. My face broke out right before my date with Steve! |
| Comí mucho azúcar y ahora me están saliendo granos. |
| break out vi phrasal | (rash, etc.: develop on skin) | salir⇒ vi |
| A rash broke out on Alice's face after she used the lotion. |
| A Alice le salió un sarpullido después de usar la loción. |
break [sb] out,
break out [sb] vtr phrasal sep | (set [sb] free) | liberar a vtr + prep |
| sacar a alguien de loc verb |
| One of the gang members was in jail, so the others broke him out. |
| Uno de los miembros de la pandilla estaba en la cárcel, así que los otros lo liberaron. |
break [sth] out,
break out [sth] vtr phrasal sep | US (divide into categories) | dividir en categorías loc verb |
| The website breaks out gift ideas according to recipient and price range. |
| break out in [sth] vtr phrasal insep | (develop: a rash, spots) (sarpullido, urticaria) | salir⇒, aparecer⇒, dar⇒ vi |
