Introduction
Communicating that something is broken is an essential skill for any Spanish learner. Whether you’re dealing with a malfunctioning appliance, a damaged object, or explaining technical issues, knowing the right expressions can save you from frustrating situations. This comprehensive guide will teach you multiple ways to express that something is broken in Spanish, complete with context-appropriate usage and regional variations.
The Most Common Way: Estar Roto
The standard and most widely understood way to say something is broken in Spanish uses the verb estar combined with the past participle roto. This construction works across all Spanish-speaking countries and applies to most situations involving physical breakage.
The basic formula follows this pattern:
Está roto (masculine singular) – It’s broken
Está rota (feminine singular) – It’s broken
Están rotos (masculine plural) – They’re broken
Están rotas (feminine plural) – They’re broken
Examples in context:
El teléfono está roto – The phone is broken
La ventana está rota – The window is broken
Los platos están rotos – The plates are broken
Las gafas están rotas – The glasses are broken
Notice how roto changes to agree with the gender and number of the noun. This agreement is crucial for sounding natural in Spanish.
Using Romper in Different Tenses
The verb romper means to break, and you can use it in various tenses to describe broken items. While estar roto describes the current state, romper focuses on the action or moment of breaking.
Present Perfect for Recent Breakage
When something has just broken or the breakage is still relevant, Spanish speakers often use the present perfect tense with se ha roto or se rompió.
Se ha roto el coche – The car has broken down
Se me ha roto el zapato – My shoe has broken
Se nos ha roto la lavadora – Our washing machine has broken
The reflexive construction with se adds a nuance that the breaking happened on its own or accidentally, which is the most common way native speakers describe unintentional breakage.
Preterite Tense for Past Events
For breakage that occurred at a specific moment in the past, use se rompió:
Se rompió ayer – It broke yesterday
Se me rompió cuando lo usé – It broke on me when I used it
El jarrón se rompió en mil pedazos – The vase broke into a thousand pieces
Regional Variations and Colloquial Expressions
Spanish is rich with regional vocabulary, and expressions for broken items vary significantly across different countries and regions.
Descompuesto: The Latin American Alternative
In Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America, descompuesto is extremely common, especially for mechanical or electronic devices. This word literally means decomposed or out of order.
El elevador está descompuesto – The elevator is broken
Mi computadora está descompuesta – My computer is broken
El aire acondicionado está descompuesto – The air conditioning is broken
This term is preferred over roto when referring to appliances, vehicles, or any machinery that has stopped functioning properly, even if nothing is physically shattered.
Averiado: Common in Spain
In Spain, averiado serves a similar purpose to descompuesto in Latin America. It refers to mechanical or technical failures rather than physical breakage.
El ascensor está averiado – The elevator is out of order
Mi móvil está averiado – My mobile phone is broken
El coche está averiado – The car has broken down
Dañado: Damaged or Broken
Dañado implies damage that may or may not involve complete breakage. It’s useful when something is harmed, impaired, or partially broken but still recognizable.
El archivo está dañado – The file is corrupted
La mercancía llegó dañada – The merchandise arrived damaged
Tengo el pelo dañado – My hair is damaged
Informal and Slang Expressions
Casual conversation often includes colorful slang terms that native speakers use daily. These expressions add personality to your Spanish and help you sound more natural.
Jodido and Fregado
In informal contexts, jodido or fregado can mean broken, though these words require caution as they can be considered vulgar in some situations. Fregado is generally milder.
Está jodido – It’s broken/messed up
Está fregado – It’s broken/screwed up
Este teléfono está fregado – This phone is broken
Hecho Polvo
The expression hecho polvo literally means made into dust and describes something completely worn out or broken beyond repair.
Mi bicicleta está hecha polvo – My bicycle is completely broken
Estos zapatos están hechos polvo – These shoes are worn out
Specific Contexts and Situations
Different situations call for specific vocabulary beyond the general term for broken.
Electronics and Appliances
When dealing with technology, you might also hear:
No funciona – It doesn’t work
Está muerto – It’s dead (informal)
No prende – It won’t turn on
No sirve – It’s not working/It’s useless
Bones and Injuries
For broken bones, Spanish uses fracturado in medical contexts, though roto works in casual conversation:
Tengo el brazo roto – I have a broken arm
Me fracturé la pierna – I fractured my leg
Se rompió la muñeca – He/she broke his/her wrist
Relationships and Promises
Beyond physical objects, roto and romper appear in emotional contexts:
Tengo el corazón roto – My heart is broken
Rompieron su promesa – They broke their promise
Está rota la confianza – Trust is broken
Practical Phrases for Real-Life Situations
Here are complete sentences you might need when reporting broken items:
Disculpe, la ducha está rota – Excuse me, the shower is broken
Necesito arreglar mi celular porque está descompuesto – I need to fix my cell phone because it’s broken
Se me rompió la cremallera – My zipper broke
El control remoto no funciona, creo que está roto – The remote control isn’t working, I think it’s broken
¿Sabes dónde puedo reparar esto? Está dañado – Do you know where I can repair this? It’s damaged
Cultural Notes on Reporting Broken Items
In Spanish-speaking cultures, the way you report something broken often includes the indirect object pronoun se me, se te, se le to indicate that the breaking happened to you, often unintentionally. This construction shifts some responsibility away from the speaker.
Compare:
Rompí el vaso – I broke the glass (implies direct responsibility)
Se me rompió el vaso – The glass broke on me (implies accident)
This subtle difference matters in professional or social situations where you want to sound less culpable for the damage.
Conclusion
Mastering how to express that something is broken in Spanish opens up essential communication pathways for travelers, learners, and anyone navigating Spanish-speaking environments. From the universal estar roto to regional favorites like descompuesto and averiado, each expression carries its own nuance and appropriate context. Practice these phrases regularly, pay attention to regional preferences, and you’ll confidently handle any situation involving damaged or malfunctioning items.
