Broken in Different Languages
Discover 'Broken' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'broken' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, signifying something that is damaged, fractured, or non-functional. Its cultural importance is evident in various art forms, literature, and even in our everyday conversations. Understanding the translation of 'broken' in different languages can provide us with a unique perspective on how different cultures perceive and address damage or failure.
For instance, the Spanish translation of 'broken' is 'roto', which is derived from the verb 'romper', meaning 'to break'. In French, 'broken' translates to 'cassé', which comes from the verb 'casser', meaning 'to break' as well. Meanwhile, in German, 'broken' can be translated to 'gebrochen', which stems from the verb 'brechen', meaning 'to break' or 'to shatter'.
Exploring the translations of 'broken' in different languages can be an exciting journey into the nuances of various cultures and languages. Keep reading to discover more translations of this significant word.
Broken
Broken in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | stukkend | ||
| Amharic | ተሰብሯል | ||
| The word "ተሰብሯል" in Amharic can also mean "worn out" or "tired". | |||
| Hausa | karye | ||
| Hausa "karye" also means to snap or smash something. | |||
| Igbo | agbajikwa | ||
| Igbo word “agbajikwa” also means to separate something into smaller pieces. | |||
| Malagasy | tapaka | ||
| In addition to meaning "broken," "tapaka" can also mean "crushed" or "smashed. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wosweka | ||
| "Wosweka" can also mean "torn" or "worn out" in Nyanja. | |||
| Shona | kutyorwa | ||
| "Kutyorwa" comes from the root "tyo" meaning "to grind" or "to break down". | |||
| Somali | jabtay | ||
| "Jabtay" can also mean "dismissed" or "fired" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | robehile | ||
| The etymology of robehile is from the verb roba, which means to break or be broken. | |||
| Swahili | imevunjika | ||
| The word "imevunjika" also means "shattered" or "destroyed" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | yaphukile | ||
| The Xhosa word "yaphukile" can also mean "damaged" or "deteriorated". | |||
| Yoruba | fifọ | ||
| The Yoruba word "fifọ" can also refer to something that is tattered, torn, or damaged. | |||
| Zulu | ephukile | ||
| The word 'ephukile' not only means 'broken' in Zulu, but can also mean 'cracked' or 'shattered'. | |||
| Bambara | karilen | ||
| Ewe | gbã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | yamenetse | ||
| Lingala | ebukani | ||
| Luganda | okumenyeka | ||
| Sepedi | robegile | ||
| Twi (Akan) | abu | ||
Broken in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مكسور | ||
| The primary sense of the Arabic word مكسور is | |||
| Hebrew | שָׁבוּר | ||
| The Hebrew word "שָׁבוּר" (shavur) can also mean "lost" or "perished." | |||
| Pashto | مات شوی | ||
| "مات شوی" can also be used to describe something or someone that is ugly, dirty, or undesirable | |||
| Arabic | مكسور | ||
| The primary sense of the Arabic word مكسور is | |||
Broken in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i thyer | ||
| The word "i thyer" can also mean "fragile" or "vulnerable" in Albanian. | |||
| Basque | apurtuta | ||
| "Apurtuta" is derived from Basque "urratu" (to tear) and can also mean "scattered" or "torn apart." | |||
| Catalan | trencat | ||
| Trencat as an adjective also refers to someone who is quick-witted or lively. | |||
| Croatian | slomljen | ||
| "Slomljen" also means "dislocated" in Croatian | |||
| Danish | gået i stykker | ||
| "Gået i stykker" is the past tense of the Danish verb "gå", which means "to walk" or "to go". It can also be used figuratively to mean "to break down" or "to fail". In the context of relationships, it can mean "to break up". | |||
| Dutch | gebroken | ||
| The word "gebroken" in Dutch comes from an Old English verb that means "to break", but can also be used to refer to a wide range of other things, such as a broken promise or a broken heart. | |||
| English | broken | ||
| It can also mean 'financially ruined' or 'not kept' like a promise or law. | |||
| French | cassé | ||
| In French, 'cassé' can also refer to an antique or discarded object or describe a poor or sickly person, reflecting its root in the Latin word 'quassare', meaning 'to shake violently'. | |||
| Frisian | brutsen | ||
| The Frisian word "brutsen" is related to the English "bruised," and has the secondary meaning of "beat or bruised in the face." | |||
| Galician | roto | ||
| The word "roto" in Galician can also refer to a person who is disheveled or unkempt. | |||
| German | gebrochen | ||
| Besides the adjective "broken", the German "gebrochen" can also be a past participle of "brechen" ("to break") or an adjective describing something fragile or frail. | |||
| Icelandic | brotið | ||
| An alternate meaning of the Icelandic word "brotið" is "fragmented; incomplete". | |||
| Irish | briste | ||
| The Irish word "briste" can also refer to a breaking point, a gap, or a flaw. | |||
| Italian | rotto | ||
| "Rotto" in Italian can also refer to something that is incomplete or interrupted. | |||
| Luxembourgish | gebrach | ||
| The word "gebrach" can also mean "lacking" or "defective". | |||
| Maltese | imkisser | ||
| The word "imkisser" can also mean "incomplete" or "imperfect". | |||
| Norwegian | gått i stykker | ||
| The phrase 'gått i stykker' literally means 'walked into pieces' in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | quebrado | ||
| In Portuguese, "quebrado" can also mean "bankrupt" or "poor". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | briste | ||
| Brise means "to break" or "to be broken" and also means "to sprout". | |||
| Spanish | roto | ||
| The word 'roto' in Spanish shares its roots with 'rupture' in English, and also means 'torn' or 'tattered'. | |||
| Swedish | bruten | ||
| The word "bruten" in Swedish can also mean "fracture" or "breach". | |||
| Welsh | wedi torri | ||
| "Wedi torri" also means "shattered" in Welsh and is related to the word "tori" meaning "to break" or "to snap." | |||
Broken in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | разбіты | ||
| Белорусское слово "разбіты" также имеет значение "печальный" или "угнетенный". | |||
| Bosnian | slomljena | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning of 'broken', 'slomljena' can also be used figuratively to describe someone who is emotionally or mentally distressed. | |||
| Bulgarian | счупен | ||
| Счупен "schupen" can also mean "to peel" or "to pluck" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | zlomený | ||
| The word "zlomený" can also mean "betrayed" or "defeated" in Czech. | |||
| Estonian | katki | ||
| "Katki" in Estonian can mean "to break", but also "to stop" or "to end". | |||
| Finnish | rikki | ||
| The word "rikki" in Finnish is also used in the phrase "rikki rikki" to describe something that is completely broken. | |||
| Hungarian | törött | ||
| The word "törött" can also mean "crushed" or "smashed" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | salauzts | ||
| "Salauzts" can also mean "crushed" or "bent". | |||
| Lithuanian | sulaužytas | ||
| The word "sulaužytas" in Lithuanian can also mean "exhausted" or "worn out". | |||
| Macedonian | скршен | ||
| The word "скршен" can also refer to someone who is very tired, exhausted or emotionally broken. | |||
| Polish | złamany | ||
| The verb «złamany» also means «bent» which is not the case with English 'broken'. | |||
| Romanian | rupt | ||
| The Romanian word «rupt» («broken») comes from the Hungarian «rupt», meaning «ugly». | |||
| Russian | сломанный | ||
| The word "сломанный" can also mean "ruined" or "spoiled" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | сломљен | ||
| The Serbian word "сломљен" has an alternative metaphorical meaning of "dispirited, disheartened, discouraged"} | |||
| Slovak | zlomený | ||
| The word "zlomený" has additional meanings in Slovak, including "humbled" and "bent." | |||
| Slovenian | zdrobljen | ||
| The word 'zdrobljen' comes from the Proto-Slavic root *drobiti, meaning 'to break'. It also has the figurative meaning of 'destroyed' or 'ruined'. | |||
| Ukrainian | зламаний | ||
| The word "зламаний" is also used figuratively in Ukrainian, for example, to describe a person who is emotionally or physically weak. | |||
Broken in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ভাঙ্গা | ||
| ভাঙ্গা can also mean to break out in a rash or to become weak or powerless. | |||
| Gujarati | તૂટી | ||
| The name "Tuti" is derived from Sanskrit "Tutati" meaning "to prevent". | |||
| Hindi | टूटा हुआ | ||
| The Hindi word "टूटा हुआ" can also refer to a person who is financially ruined or emotionally distraught. | |||
| Kannada | ಮುರಿದುಹೋಗಿದೆ | ||
| Malayalam | തകർന്നു | ||
| Marathi | तुटलेली | ||
| "तुटलेली" (broken) in Marathi also refers to a woman whose husband has died, or to something that is not complete or perfect, such as food with many spices. | |||
| Nepali | भाँचिएको | ||
| The word "भाँचिएको" (broken) is derived from the verb "भाँच्नु" (to break), which shares its root with the word "भाँचो" (a fracture). | |||
| Punjabi | ਟੁੱਟਿਆ | ||
| The Punjabi word 'ਟੁੱਟਿਆ' ('broken') originates from the Sanskrit word "trutya", meaning 'to be cut into fragments' or 'to break'. It can also refer to the act of separating into fragments, or to the state of being fragmented. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කැඩී ඇත | ||
| The word 'කැඩී ඇත' can also refer to a state of being damaged, disrupted, or malfunctioning. | |||
| Tamil | உடைந்த | ||
| The Tamil word "உடைந்த" can also mean "removed" or "detached" in certain contexts. | |||
| Telugu | విరిగిన | ||
| "విరిగిన" is also used to describe something that has been damaged or ruined, or to describe a person who is weak or frail. | |||
| Urdu | ٹوٹاھوا | ||
| The word "ٹوٹاھوا" in Urdu can also refer to a person who is physically or emotionally unwell. | |||
Broken in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 破碎 | ||
| 破碎's initial meaning was 'broken pieces', but in modern Chinese it often means 'sad' or 'broken-hearted'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 破碎 | ||
| "破碎" (traditional Chinese for "broken") can also mean "disintegration" or "failure" in certain contexts. | |||
| Japanese | 壊れた | ||
| 壊れた initially referred to a specific type of damage to a horse's foot. | |||
| Korean | 부서진 | ||
| The Korean word "부서진" can also refer to something that is mentally or emotionally damaged. | |||
| Mongolian | эвдэрсэн | ||
| The word derives from "awdarh", and "awtar" (to fracture). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကျိုးသည် | ||
| ကျိုးသည် (broken) also refers to the breaking apart or separation of something, e.g., a marriage or relationship. | |||
Broken in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | rusak | ||
| The word 'rusak' in Indonesian can also mean 'damaged', 'spoiled', 'wrecked', or 'destroyed'. | |||
| Javanese | rusak | ||
| **Rusak** comes from the Old Javanese word **rus** meaning "to tear" and can also refer to "ruined" or "defiled." | |||
| Khmer | ខូច | ||
| The word "ខូច" in Khmer can also refer to a hole or a gap, such as in a wall or a roof. | |||
| Lao | ແຕກ | ||
| The verb ແຕກ is also used in a figurative sense to refer to the breaking or disruption of a relationship, or the separation or division of a group. | |||
| Malay | patah | ||
| The Malay word "patah" can also refer to a break in a conversation or the end of a relationship. | |||
| Thai | เสีย | ||
| "เสีย" can also mean "lost" or "wasted," or be used when something cannot be used like it used to. | |||
| Vietnamese | bị hỏng | ||
| The word "bị hỏng" can also mean "out of order", "not functioning", or "malfunctioning" in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sira | ||
Broken in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qırıq | ||
| The word "qırıq" in Azerbaijani can also mean "remnant" or "remaining part of something that has been broken off or damaged." | |||
| Kazakh | сынған | ||
| "Сынған" can also mean "brokenhearted" or "unlucky." | |||
| Kyrgyz | сынган | ||
| The word "сынган" also carries the meaning of "ruined". | |||
| Tajik | шикаста | ||
| The word "шикаста" can also refer to a type of traditional Tajik embroidery. | |||
| Turkmen | döwüldi | ||
| Uzbek | singan | ||
| The Uzbek word "singan" is also used to refer to something that is "crushed", "defeat", or "failure". | |||
| Uyghur | بۇزۇلغان | ||
Broken in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | haki | ||
| The word 'haki' also means 'to break wind' or 'to fart' in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | pakaru | ||
| The word 'pakaru' in Maori can also refer to a gap or hole in the ground. | |||
| Samoan | malepe | ||
| Malepe may also mean "a little broken" or "cracked" but is typically applied to an article with a more serious break or damage. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | nasira | ||
| The Tagalog word "nasira" can also refer to a failed or spoiled plan or event. | |||
Broken in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | p'akhita | ||
| Guarani | jeka | ||
Broken in International Languages
| Esperanto | rompita | ||
| The Esperanto word "rompita" is derived from the Polish word "rompić" which also means "to break". | |||
| Latin | rumpitur | ||
| In Latin, "rumpitur" also means "burst open" or "split asunder." | |||
Broken in Others Languages
| Greek | σπασμένος | ||
| The word "σπασμένος" can also mean "poor" or "unlucky" in Greek. | |||
| Hmong | tawg | ||
| The word "tawg" can also mean "separated" or "dismantled" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | şikestî | ||
| The word "şikestî" in Kurdish also refers to a type of handwriting and a melodic form in Kurdish music. | |||
| Turkish | kırık | ||
| The word "kırık" in Turkish shares its etymology with "kırmak" (to break) and "kırık dökük" (broken and scattered). | |||
| Xhosa | yaphukile | ||
| The Xhosa word "yaphukile" can also mean "damaged" or "deteriorated". | |||
| Yiddish | צעבראכן | ||
| The Yiddish word "צעבראכן" (broken) is derived from the German word "zerbrechen" (to break) and has the alternate meaning of "heartbroken" or "devastated" | |||
| Zulu | ephukile | ||
| The word 'ephukile' not only means 'broken' in Zulu, but can also mean 'cracked' or 'shattered'. | |||
| Assamese | ভগা | ||
| Aymara | p'akhita | ||
| Bhojpuri | टूटल | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަލާކުވެފައި | ||
| Dogri | भज्जे दा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | sira | ||
| Guarani | jeka | ||
| Ilocano | nabittak | ||
| Krio | dɔn brok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | شکاو | ||
| Maithili | टूटल | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯥꯏꯔꯦ | ||
| Mizo | keh | ||
| Oromo | cabaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଭଙ୍ଗା | ||
| Quechua | pakisqa | ||
| Sanskrit | भंजित | ||
| Tatar | ватылган | ||
| Tigrinya | ዝተሰበረ | ||
| Tsonga | tshovekile | ||