Practice
Broke and broken: understand the difference
Sign in to saveI broke my phone yesterday. My phone is now broken. These forms come from the verb break, but they have different places in a sentence. Broke can also describe a person who has no money.
Choose broke for the past simple of break or the informal adjective meaning without money, and choose broken as the past participle or an adjective for something damaged or not working.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
broke / broken /brəʊk/ /ˈbrəʊ.kən/
The short answer
Use broke as the past simple of break, usually for an action at a finished past time. Use broken as the past participle after have, has, or had, and as an adjective for something damaged or not working. Broke can also mean without money in informal English.
Sam broke the lamp last night, and the broken lamp is still on the table.
Why it works: Broke names Sam's completed action. Broken describes the lamp after the damage.
6 more examples
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Nadia broke her glasses on the bus yesterday.
Broke is the past simple of break. Yesterday shows that the action is finished.
Not this:Nadia
has brokenher glasses. What changes: Broken is the past participle after has. The sentence connects the past action to the present situation. -
The broken printer will not print the report.
Broken is an adjective that describes a printer that does not work.
Not this:The
broke printerwill not print the report. What changes: Do not use broke before a noun to mean damaged. Use broken printer. -
We had broken the seal before we read the instructions.
Broken follows had, so it is the past participle in the past perfect.
Not this:We
had brokethe seal before we read the instructions. What changes: After had, use the past participle broken, not the past simple form broke. -
After paying the repair bill, I was broke until Friday.
Broke is an informal adjective here. It means that the speaker had no money to spend.
Not this:After paying the repair bill, I
was brokenuntil Friday. What changes: Broken usually means damaged or upset. It does not normally mean without money. -
The gate was broken during the storm.
Broken follows was in a passive sentence. The gate received the damage.
Not this:The gate
was brokeduring the storm. What changes: Use broken after was when the sentence describes damage to the gate. -
Leo broke his promise to call his sister.
Broke is the past simple for a completed action. A promise can be broken even though it is not a physical object.
Not this:Leo
has brokenhis promise to call his sister. What changes: Use broken after has when the broken promise matters now.
Read the full guide
First, look for the job of the word. If you are naming a finished action in the past, choose broke. If the word follows have, has, or had, choose broken. If it describes a damaged thing, choose broken. If it describes having no money, broke is common in informal speech.
Learn the three forms of break
Break is irregular. Its three useful forms are break, broke, and broken. Use break as the base form, broke as the past simple, and broken as the past participle. Learning the three forms together makes the choice easier.
Base form: I do not want to break the cup. Past simple: I broke the cup yesterday. Past participle: I have broken the cup.
Which form follows have: broke or broken?
Use broken. Have needs the past participle.
Use broke for a finished past action
Use broke when you say that someone or something completed the action of breaking in the past. It often appears with a finished time. The subject did the action, even if it happened by accident.
The child broke the puzzle piece this morning.
This morning names a finished time, so broke is the past simple form.
Complete the sentence: My bicycle chain ___ on the way home yesterday.
Use broke. The chain broke at a finished time in the past.
Use broken after have, has, and had
Have, has, and had need the past participle. With break, that form is broken. This pattern appears in present perfect and past perfect sentences. Do not put broke after these helper verbs.
Someone has broken the lock on the storage room.
Broken follows has. The sentence says that the damage matters at the present time.
By the time we arrived, the wind had broken two branches.
Broken follows had because the branches were damaged before another past event.
Use broken to describe damage or failure
Broken can be an adjective. It describes something that is damaged, no longer whole, or not working. Put it before a noun, as in a broken screen, or after be, as in The screen is broken.
Please do not use the broken chair near the window.
Broken describes the chair's condition. It does not say who damaged it.
Choose the adjective: The washing machine is ___, so we need a repair.
Use broken. A broken washing machine does not work properly.
Use broke for having no money
Broke has another job in informal English. After be, it can mean that a person has no money or cannot spend money. This adjective usually describes a temporary situation. It does not describe a damaged person.
I would like to join you, but I am broke after my trip.
Broke means without money here. In a more formal message, say that you cannot afford to join.
Does broke in I am broke mean damaged or without money?
It means without money. The phrase is informal.
Before you go
Remember this
Use broke for the past simple: She broke the key yesterday. Use broken after have, has, or had and for damaged things: She has broken the key, and the key is broken. In informal English, broke can describe someone with no money. Check whether the sentence names an action, describes a result, or talks about money.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Broke and broken: understand the difference"
What is the main difference between broke and broken?
Broke is usually the past simple of break, as in Nadia broke her glasses yesterday. Broken is the past participle after have, has, or had, as in Nadia has broken her glasses. Broken also describes something damaged or not working.
Nadia broke her glasses on the bus yesterday.
Can I say I have broke something?
No. After have, has, or had, use broken: I have broken something, or We had broken the seal. Broke is the past simple form, so use it without have for a finished action, such as Leo broke his promise.
Nadia has broken her glasses.
Why do people say I am broke?
I am broke is an informal way to say that you have no money or cannot spend money at that time. After paying a repair bill, someone might say they are broke until Friday. It does not mean that the person is physically damaged.
The broken printer will not print the report.
Can broken be an adjective?
Yes. Broken describes an object that is damaged or does not work, as in a broken printer or a broken chair. It can come before a noun or after be: The gate was broken during the storm.
The broke printer will not print the report.
What are the three forms of break?
The three forms are break, broke, and broken. Use break as the base form, broke for the past simple, and broken as the past participle. For example, I break, I broke, and I have broken use the three forms in different grammar patterns.
We had broken the seal before we read the instructions.