My Slavic Studies

You’re bound to come across these two verbs if you look up to break in Russian.

The verb разбить [imp: бить] means to break, in the sense of to break into pieces, to shatter. This verb, as a result, is key for cups, glasses, dishes and really anything that shatters.

Чашки выпали у неё из рук и разбились. The cups fell out of her hands and broke [shattered].

Я был так сердит, что разбил все тарелки. I was so mad that I broke [shattered] all the plates.

A romantic phrase utilizing this verb:

Она разбила мне сердце. She broke [shattered] my heart.

And a more advanced usage:

Разбитая любовь никогда не клеится. A broken [shattered] love never mends itself.

---

The verb сломать [imp: ломать] means to break, in the sense of something that doesn’t shatter, a stiff object that breaks in two, less severe. It can also mean to break down.

Григорий отсутствовал на работе, потому что машина у него сломалась. Grigorii missed work because his car broke down.

Кирилл сломал ногу, играя в хоккей. Kirill broke his leg playing hockey.

And the useful expression ломать голову над + instr. means to rack one’s brains over something.

Я сломал голову над этим сложным заданием. I racked my brains over this complex task.

Last Edit: 04/13/2026.