break down
π Pronunciation
/breΙͺk daΚn/
Stress: primary stress on 'break'
maintain clear distinction between verb and particle
π¨βπ©βπ§βπ¦ Word Family
| Word Class | Forms |
|---|---|
| Verbs | break down, breaks down, breaking down, broke down, broken down |
| Nouns | breakdown |
| Adjectives | broken-down |
Hyphenated as modifier, solid as noun
π Phrasal Verb Structure
Base verb: breakParticle: down
Transitivity: both
π Meanings
Meaning 1
stop functioning (machinery/vehicle)
Formal equivalent: malfunction, fail
SEMI-LITERAL
“My car broke down on the highway”
“The washing machine keeps breaking down”
“The old system broke down under pressure”
Meaning 2
have an emotional collapse
Formal equivalent: collapse, disintegrate
ABSTRACT
“She broke down crying at the funeral”
“He broke down when he heard the news”
“The witness broke down during questioning”
Meaning 3
analyze into smaller components
Formal equivalent: analyze, dissect
ABSTRACT
“Let's break down the problem into smaller parts”
“The teacher broke the complex topic down”
“Breaking down the costs helped us understand the budget”
β οΈ Separability Rules
Rule: OPTIONALLY SEPARABLE
Pronoun Placement
β break it down
β break down it
π‘ Think of it Like This
Think of something whole being reduced to smaller parts, whether mechanical failure, emotional control, or analytical understanding
Memory aid: Visualize a wall breaking down into pieces
Reflects Western analytical thinking – understanding through decomposition
π Usage Patterns
Grammatical Contexts
Imperative: “Break this down for me”
Continuous: “The system is breaking down”
Perfect: “She has broken down twice this month”
Passive: “The costs were broken down by category”
Modal: “This machine might break down soon”
Question: “When did your car break down?”
Negative: “Don't break down the data yet”
Common in:
β οΈ Common Errors
β The car broke upββ The car broke down
Confusion with other 'break' phrasal verbs
Common for: Languages without particle distinctions
High impact
β break down itββ break it down
Wrong pronoun placement
β She broke herself downββ She broke down
Adding reflexive pronoun unnecessarily
π Register & Alternatives
Formality: neutral
Single-verb alternatives
Formal: malfunction, analyze, collapse
Neutral: fail, examine, cry
Informal: conk out, fall apart
Use phrasal verb: everyday conversation, informal writing
Use single verb: formal technical documentation, academic writing