break 點樣打破規則：up、down、out、through

一對情侶可以 break up，一架車可以 break down，一場火可以 break out，一位科學家可以 break through。呢啲全部都唔涉及真係有嘢爆裂。動詞 break 好鍾意四圍走，而一旦你加返個小品詞，佢就可以形容感情關係、機器、新聞，甚至你自己嘅情緒。等我哋將啲碎片執好佢。

快速解答

break 嘅核心係「突然嘅裂開或者破裂」——本來完整嘅嘢突然分崩離析或者塌咗。每一個片語版本都保留住嗰道裂痕嘅痕跡。Up 將啲嘢裂成碎片或者終結佢。Down 令佢塌落嚟。Out 令啲嘢爆發出嚟。Through 推穿一道障礙。一旦你感受到「有嘢塌咗」呢個畫面，成個家族就講得通。

核心概念

想像一幅實心牆。Break 就係佢爆裂嗰一刻。而家問：道裂痕向邊個方向去？

• 如果道裂痕將件嘢分開，你就得到 break up。
• 如果件嘢向內塌落而停止運作，你就得到 break down。
• 如果道裂痕令啲嘢走甩出嚟，你就得到 break out。
• 如果你硬闖穿過道牆，你就得到 break through。
• 如果你乾淨俐落咁折斷一塊，你就得到 break off。
• 如果你掙脫出嚟，你就得到 break away。

個基本意思從來唔會完全消失。佢只係俾個小品詞指向一個新方向。

自然例句

break up

• They broke up after three years together.
• The teacher broke up the fight in the hallway.

break down（機器壞咗／喊／分析）

• Our car broke down on the highway.
• She broke down in tears when she heard the news.
• Let's break down the budget line by line.

break in

• Someone tried to break in through the back window.
• These new boots are stiff; I need to break them in.

break out

• A fire broke out in the old factory.
• He broke out in a rash after eating shellfish.

break through

• After months of failure, the team finally broke through.
• Sunlight broke through the clouds for the first time all week.

break off

• She broke off a piece of chocolate and handed it to me.
• The two countries broke off talks last night.

break away

• He broke away from the group to start his own company.
• The runner broke away from the pack in the final lap.

意思反轉對比

睇住個動詞轉向：

• 「The negotiations broke down.」＝談判崩潰失敗。
• 「The negotiations broke through.」＝談判突破障礙、成功咗。
• 「Thieves broke in last night.」＝非法闖入。
• 「War broke out last night.」＝突然爆發。

一個小品詞，就係災難同凱旋之間嘅分別。

常見錯誤

• 「My car broke up on the road.」→「My car broke down on the road.」· 機器係 break down（停止運作），唔係 break up。
• 「They broke down last month, now they date other people.」→「They broke up last month.」· 感情關係係 break up；人係情緒上 break down。
• 「A fire broke up downtown.」→「A fire broke out downtown.」· 突發事件（火災、戰爭、疾病）係 break out。
• 「I need to break in these problems.」→「I need to break down these problems.」· 想一步步分析，用 break down。
• 「He breaked through the wall.」→「He broke through the wall.」· Break 係不規則動詞：break, broke, broken。冇 breaked。

考試陷阱

聆聽同閱讀部分鍾意考 break down，因為佢兩個字之內塞咗三個常見意思。一條陷阱題可能話：「By the end of the interview, the candidate had completely broken down.」一個睇得急嘅讀者會以為位應徵者分析咗啲嘢，但喺度佢明顯係指對方情緒失控喊咗出嚟。應對策略同成個家族一樣：睇主語同周圍嘅線索。一部機器 breaks down（停止運作）；一份報告或者成本 breaks down（被分析）；一個人 breaks down（喊）。喺你鎖定一個意思之前，先諗清楚係邊個或者邊樣嘢喺度 break。

小練習

1. The washing machine _____ _____ again this morning.
2. Riots _____ _____ in the city center overnight.
3. After years of research, they finally _____ _____ on the cure.
4. She _____ _____ a piece of bread and gave it to the bird.
5. The couple decided to _____ _____ after a long argument.

答案

1. broke down — 機器壞咗用 break down。
2. broke out — 好似暴動咁嘅突發事件係 break out。
3. broke through — 突破研究瓶頸係 break through。
4. broke off — 折斷一小塊係 break off。
5. broke up — 結束一段感情關係係 break up。

小總結

搵到嗰幅牆同道裂痕嘅方向，每一個 break 就會乖乖各歸各位。

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