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Kalle broke his leg playing football.
Kalle hat sich beim Fußball das Bein gebrochen. Kalle broke his leg playing football.

verb · A2

brechen

[ˈbʁɛçn̩]

to break

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Other Examples

  • Ich breche das Brot und gebe dir die Hälfte.

    I break the bread and give you half.

  • Fahr langsam, sonst brichst du dir noch den Arm!

    Ride slowly, or you'll break your arm!

  • Wir brechen die Schokolade in kleine Stücke.

    We break the chocolate into small pieces.

  • Passt auf dem Eis auf, sonst brecht ihr euch etwas!

    Be careful on the ice, or you'll break something!

  • Bei Sturm brechen im Grunewald manchmal Bäume.

    In a storm, trees sometimes break in the Grunewald.

Grammar

Present
er/sie/es bricht What happens now or usually.
Simple past (Präteritum)
er/sie/es brach The past in stories and in writing; in speech mostly with sein, haben and the modal verbs.
Perfect (Perfekt)
er/sie/es hat gebrochen The past in conversation. Verbs of movement or change take "ist", most others "hat".

Phrases With This Word

Conjugation

The verb in every person; under each table, when German uses it.

Indikativ
Person Präsens Präteritum Perfekt
ich brechebrachhabe gebrochen
du brichstbrachsthast gebrochen
er/sie/es brichtbrachhat gebrochen
wir brechenbrachenhaben gebrochen
ihr brechtbrachthabt gebrochen
sie/Sie brechenbrachenhaben gebrochen
Präsens
What happens now or usually; with a time word also the future.
Präteritum
The past in stories and in writing; in speech mostly with sein, haben and the modal verbs.
Perfekt
The past in conversation.
More Tenses and Moods
Indikativ
Person Plusquamperfekt Futur I Futur II
ich hatte gebrochenwerde brechenwerde gebrochen haben
du hattest gebrochenwirst brechenwirst gebrochen haben
er/sie/es hatte gebrochenwird brechenwird gebrochen haben
wir hatten gebrochenwerden brechenwerden gebrochen haben
ihr hattet gebrochenwerdet brechenwerdet gebrochen haben
sie/Sie hatten gebrochenwerden brechenwerden gebrochen haben
Plusquamperfekt
What had happened before another moment in the past.
Futur I
Plans, promises and guesses about the future; often the Präsens is enough.
Futur II
What will be finished by a moment in the future, or a guess about the past.
Person Konjunktiv II
ich bräche
du brächst
er/sie/es bräche
wir brächen
ihr brächt
sie/Sie brächen
Konjunktiv II
Wishes, polite requests and what isn't real.
Person Imperativ
du brich!
ihr brecht!
Sie brechen Sie!
Imperativ
Requests and instructions to du, ihr and Sie.

How the Word Is Built

brech root en ending

-en
the ending of the infinitive, the form of a verb in the dictionary.

Word family

gebrochender Bruchabbrechen

In Otti's situations: Otti visits Kalle in hospital

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