quebrar

Senses

1. 1.

   to break

   to cause something to separate into pieces or stop functioning

2. 2.

   to break, to go bankrupt

   to run out of money or fail financially

3. 3.

   to break (a record, pattern, or silence)

   to surpass or interrupt something established

4. 4.

   to break down, to crack

   to lose composure or collapse emotionally/physically

Examples

• "Cuidado para não quebrar o copo!"

  Be careful not to break the glass!

• "A empresa quebrou durante a crise econômica."

  The company went bankrupt during the economic crisis.

• "Ele quebrou o recorde mundial de natação."

  He broke the world swimming record.

Usage

Very common verb in everyday Brazilian Portuguese. Often used in colloquial expressions like "estar quebrado/a" (to be broke, out of money) or "quebrar a cabeça" (to rack one's brain). The past participle has two forms: "quebrado" (regular) and "quebrantado" (archaic/literary).