Struggling to find the right word for “broken” in another language? Discover how to say BROKEN in different languages
Whether you’re a language enthusiast, a traveler, or someone keen on exploring linguistic diversity, discovering how to say “broken” in various languages can be enlightening and practical.
This guide provides translations, pronunciations, and cultural insights related to the word “broken” in over 100 languages.
Why Understanding “Broken” in Different Languages is Fascinating
The term “broken” carries connotations beyond its literal meaning. Depending on cultural contexts, it often represents vulnerability, imperfection, or the need for repair.
Understanding how to express “broken” in different languages can deepen our appreciation for these varied cultural nuances.
Saying “Broken” in European Languages
Western European Languages
- English: Broken (pronounced broh-kuhn)
- French: Cassé (pronounced kah-say)
- German: Gebrochen (pronounced guh-broh-khen)
- Spanish: Roto (pronounced roh-toh)
- Italian: Rotto (pronounced roh-toh)
- Portuguese: Quebrado (pronounced keh-brah-doo)
- Dutch: Gebroken (pronounced gheh-bro-ken)
- Catalan: Trencat (pronounced tren-cat)
Northern European Languages
- Swedish: Trasig (pronounced trah-seeg)
- Danish: Brudt (pronounced bruht)
- Norwegian: Ødelagt (pronounced uh-deh-lahkt)
- Finnish: Rikkoutunut (pronounced ri-koh-oo-too-neht)
- Icelandic: Brotið (pronounced broh-theed)
Eastern European Languages
- Russian: Сломанный (pronounced sloh-mah-ny)
- Polish: Zepsuty (pronounced zehp-soo-tee)
- Czech: Rozbitý (pronounced roz-bee-tee)
- Hungarian: Törött (pronounced tuh-ret)
- Slovak: Rozbitý (pronounced roz-bee-tee)
- Ukrainian: Зламаний (pronounced zlah-mah-nee)
- Bulgarian: Счупен (pronounced shchoo-pen)
- Serbian: Сломљен (pronounced sloh-mlen)
Celtic Languages
- Irish Gaelic: Briste (pronounced bris-teh)
- Scottish Gaelic: Briste (pronounced bris-teh)
- Welsh: Wedi torri (pronounced weh-dee tor-ee)
Other European Languages
- Basque: Apurtu (pronounced ah-poor-too)
- Maltese: Miżerja (pronounced mee-zer-ya)
- Albanian: I thyer (pronounced ee thee-er)
Saying “Broken” in Asian Languages
East Asian Languages
- Chinese (Simplified): 破 (pronounced pò)
- Chinese (Traditional): 破 (pronounced pò)
- Japanese: 壊れた (pronounced kowareta)
- Korean: 부서진 (pronounced bu-seo-jin)
South Asian Languages
- Hindi: टूटा (pronounced too-ta)
- Bengali: ভাঙ্গা (pronounced bhanga)
- Tamil: உடைந்த (pronounced u-dain-tha)
- Urdu: ٹوٹا (pronounced tootaa)
- Punjabi: ਟੁੱਟਿਆ (pronounced tut-tee-ah)
- Telugu: బ్రేక్ (pronounced breyk)
- Gujarati: તૂટી (pronounced too-tee)
- Kannada: ಮುರಿದ (pronounced moo-ree-da)
Southeast Asian Languages
- Thai: แตก (pronounced dtaek)
- Vietnamese: Bị vỡ (pronounced bee vo)
- Indonesian: Rusak (pronounced roo-sak)
- Malay: Rosak (pronounced roh-sak)
- Khmer (Cambodian): បាក់ (pronounced bak)
- Burmese (Myanmar): ထိုး (pronounced htoe)
Central Asian Languages
- Kazakh: Сынды (pronounced sundy)
- Uzbek: Sinmoq (pronounced sin-mok)
- Turkmen: Bozuk (pronounced boh-zook)
- Tajik: Шикаст (pronounced shikast)
Saying “Broken” in Middle-Eastern Languages
- Arabic: مكسور (pronounced maksoor)
- Hebrew: שבור (pronounced shaboor)
- Persian (Farsi): شکسته (pronounced shekasteh)
- Turkish: Kırık (pronounced kuh-ree-k)
- Kurdish (Sorani): شکان (pronounced shekan)
Saying “Broken” in African Languages
- Swahili: Vunjika (pronounced voon-jee-kah)
- Zulu: Phukile (pronounced poo-kee-leh)
- Afrikaans: Gebroke (pronounced ghe-bro-keh)
- Amharic: ተሰበረ (pronounced te-se-ba-re)
- Yoruba: Fọ (pronounced for)
- Igbo: Biri (pronounced bee-ree)
- Hausa: Karya (pronounced kah-ryah)
- Somali: Jebin (pronounced jeh-bin)
Saying “Broken” in Austronesian Languages
- Filipino (Tagalog): Basag (pronounced bah-sahg)
- Cebuano: Banga (pronounced bah-ngah)
- Maori: Pakaru (pronounced pah-kah-roo)
- Hawaiian: Pakū (pronounced pah-koo)
- Javanese: Ruksak (pronounced rook-sahk)
- Malagasy: Rava (pronounced rah-vah)
Saying “Broken” in Indigenous Languages
Native American Languages
- Quechua: T’ika (pronounced tee-kah)
- Navajo: T’ááłá’í (pronounced tah-ahl-ee)
Australian Aboriginal Languages
- Pitjantjatjara: Tjukurpa (used to describe broken connections)
More Translations of BROKEN in Different Languages
- Amharic (Ethiopia): ገድል (pronounced gedil)
- Georgian: გატეხილი (pronounced gatekhili)
- Mongolian: эвдрэл (pronounced evdrel)
- Nepali: भाँचिएको (pronounced bhānchiyeko)
- Sinhala (Sri Lanka): භංග (pronounced bhanga)
- Estonian: katki (pronounced kaht-kee)
- Latvian: saplēsts (pronounced sah-playsts)
- Lithuanian: sulaužytas (pronounced soo-lau-zhit-as)
- Macedonian: скршен (pronounced skurshen)
- Armenian: կոտրված (pronounced kotravaz)
- Bosnian: slomljen (pronounced sloh-myeln)
- Albanian: i thyer (pronounced ee thee-er)
- French: cassé (pronounced ka-say)
- German: gebrochen (pronounced geh-brokh-en)
- Spanish: roto (pronounced roh-toh)
- Italian: rotto (pronounced rott-o)
- Portuguese: quebrado (pronounced keh-brah-doo)
- Dutch: gebroken (pronounced ghe-bro-ken)
- Catalan: trencat (pronounced tren-cat)
- Swedish: trasig (pronounced trah-sig)
- Danish: brudt (pronounced bruht)
- Norwegian: ødelagt (pronounced uh-deh-laht)
- Finnish: rikki (pronounced rik-kee)
- Icelandic: brotinn (pronounced brot-in)
- Russian: сломанный (pronounced sloh-mah-nee)
- Polish: złamany (pronounced zwah-mah-nee)
- Czech: zlomený (pronounced zlo-meh-nee)
- Hungarian: törött (pronounced tuh-ruht)
- Slovak: zlomený (pronounced zlo-meh-nee)
- Ukrainian: зламаний (pronounced zluh-mah-nee)
- Bulgarian: счупен (pronounced shchoo-pen)
- Serbian: сломљен (pronounced sloh-myeln)
- Irish Gaelic: briste (pronounced bris-teh)
- Scottish Gaelic: briste (pronounced bris-teh)
- Welsh: torri (pronounced tor-ee)
- Basque: hautsi (pronounced how-tsee)
- Maltese: imsakkar (pronounced im-sak-kar)
- Chinese (Simplified): 破碎 (pronounced pòsuì)
- Chinese (Traditional): 破碎 (pronounced pòsuì)
- Japanese: 壊れた (pronounced kowareta)
- Korean: 부서진 (pronounced bu-seo-jin)
- Hindi: टूटा (pronounced tootah)
- Bengali: ভেঙে যাওয়া (pronounced bheye jao-a)
- Tamil: உடைந்த (pronounced udainth)
- Urdu: ٹوٹا ہوا (pronounced toota hua)
- Punjabi: ਟੁੱਟਿਆ (pronounced tuttiya)
- Telugu: బద్దలు (pronounced baddalu)
- Gujarati: તૂટી (pronounced tootee)
- Kannada: ಮುರಿದ (pronounced murida)
- Thai: แตก (pronounced dtaek)
- Vietnamese: vỡ (pronounced veh)
- Indonesian: rusak (pronounced roo-sak)
- Malay: pecah (pronounced puh-chah)
- Khmer (Cambodian): បំបែក (pronounced bam-bek)
- Burmese (Myanmar): ပြိုကွဲ (pronounced pyoh-kweh)
- Kazakh: сынған (pronounced synhgan)
- Uzbek: singan (pronounced seen-gan)
- Turkmen: döwlen (pronounced dohl-en)
- Tajik: шикастан (pronounced shikastan)
- Arabic: مكسور (pronounced maksoor)
- Hebrew: שבור (pronounced shavur)
- Persian (Farsi): شکسته (pronounced shekasteh)
- Turkish: kırık (pronounced kuh-rik)
- Kurdish (Sorani): شکسته (pronounced shekasta)
- Swahili: kuharibu (pronounced koo-har-ibu)
- Zulu: ukuphuka (pronounced oo-khuh-poo-kah)
- Afrikaans: gebroke (pronounced ghe-bro-kah)
- Yoruba: fọ (pronounced for)
- Igbo: efu (pronounced eh-foo)
- Hausa: karya (pronounced kah-ree-yah)
- Somali: burburin (pronounced bur-bur-in)
- Filipino (Tagalog): basag (pronounced bah-sahg)
- Cebuano: naguba (pronounced nah-goo-bah)
- Maori: pakaru (pronounced pah-kah-roo)
- Hawaiian: hōʻino (pronounced hoy-ee-no)
- Javanese: rusak (pronounced roo-sahk)
- Malagasy: tapaka (pronounced tah-pah-kah)
- Quechua: wañuy (pronounced wan-yoo)
- Navajo: naashá (approximate pronunciation nah-shah)
Pronunciation Guide and Cultural Insights
Learning to say “broken” in different languages opens a window into various cultural interpretations.
“Broken” can refer to physical objects, emotional states, and symbolic contexts, highlighting how cultures perceive fragility and resilience.
Tips for Proper Pronunciation
- Listen and Repeat: Use language learning apps or online platforms to hear native speakers pronounce “broken,” which will help you understand the correct sounds and intonation.
- Use Phonetic Spelling: Refer to phonetic guides to help with unfamiliar sounds.
- Practice Regularly: Consistent practice will enhance your pronunciation and confidence.
Cultural Significance
The word “broken” carries a wide array of meanings across cultures:
- Physical Fragility: Often describes objects no longer whole, emphasizing the need for care and maintenance in physical relationships.
- Emotional States: In many cultures, being “broken” can signify emotional distress or vulnerability, inviting conversations about healing and support.
- Opportunity for Repair: Different cultures view brokenness as a chance for renewal or improvement, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the potential for growth after hardship.
Translation, Meaning, and Usage in Sentences
Examples in Different Languages
- Spanish
- Translation: Roto
- Meaning: Broken
- Sentence: La ventana está rota. (The window is broken.)
- French
- Translation: Cassé
- Meaning: Broken
- Sentence: Le vase est cassé. (The vase is broken.)
- Russian
- Translation: Сломанный (pronounced slo-MA-nny)
- Meaning: Broken
- Sentence: Телефон сломан. (The phone is broken.)
- Swahili
- Translation: Vunjika
- Meaning: Broken
- Sentence: Kiti kimevunja. (The chair is broken.)
- Arabic
- Translation: مكسور (pronounced maksour)
- Meaning: Broken
- Sentence: الزجاج مكسور. (The glass is broken.)
- Hindi
- Translation: टूटा (pronounced too-TA)
- Meaning: Broken
- Sentence: मेरा खिलौना टूटा है। (My toy is broken.)
Final Thoughts
Exploring how “broken” is articulated in various languages reveals universal themes of fragility and resilience. Each translation reflects a shared understanding of loss or damage, highlighting unique cultural perspectives on recovery and healing.
Understanding these linguistic and cultural nuances can deepen your connections with diverse communities and enrich your conversations across languages.
Embrace these translations to enhance your cultural knowledge and foster empathy for others experiencing their moments of being “broken.”
Reference: Linguistic Society of America
