Verb
/romˈpeɾ/
The verb "romper" in Spanish means to break or to cause something to no longer be whole, intact, or functional. It can refer to a physical act (like breaking a glass), as well as metaphorical uses (like breaking a promise). The word is commonplace in both oral and written communication and is frequently encountered across various contexts, making it a widely used verb in the Spanish language.
El niño rompió la ventana accidentalmente.
The boy broke the window accidentally.
No quiero romper nuestra amistad por un malentendido.
I don’t want to break our friendship over a misunderstanding.
Necesitamos romper el hielo antes de empezar la reunión.
We need to break the ice before starting the meeting.
The verb "romper" features in several idiomatic expressions in Spanish, reflecting various meanings and contexts.
Romper el hielo - To break the ice
Utilicé un chiste para romper el hielo en la reunión.
I used a joke to break the ice at the meeting.
Romper el molde - To break the mold
Ella realmente rompio el molde con su enfoque innovador.
She really broke the mold with her innovative approach.
Romper la barrera - To break the barrier
Es importante romper la barrera de comunicación entre los equipos.
It is important to break the communication barrier between teams.
Romper las reglas - To break the rules
A veces, es necesario romper las reglas para lograr algo extraordinario.
Sometimes, it is necessary to break the rules to achieve something extraordinary.
Romperse la cabeza - To rack one's brains
Me rompí la cabeza tratando de resolver ese problema de matemáticas.
I racked my brains trying to solve that math problem.
The verb "romper" comes from the Latin "rumpere," which means "to break." It has persisted through time, carrying with it the same basic meaning across various applications in the modern language.