French Conversation · Level 12
90 words
French word
casser
Pronunciation
IPA/kase/
Meaning
- verbbreak
Example
Ne casse pas ce jouet.
Don't break that toy.
More examples
J'ai cassé mon téléphone hier.
I broke my phone yesterday.
Core concept
A whole object gives way under force until its shape or function no longer holds.
Common phrases
casser un verre
break a glass
se casser la jambe
break one's leg
casser une promesse
break a promise
Similar words
briser: To break an object into pieces or fragments.
abîmer: To damage an object's surface or function, reducing its quality or appearance.
endommager: To damage an object's function or structure so it no longer works properly.
détruire: To destroy an object completely beyond restoration of its original form or function.
Definition in French
S'emploie principalement de manière transitive pour endommager ou briser quelque chose en appliquant une force, et admet la forme pronominale se casser au sens intransitif.
Word origin
French casser passed through Medieval French from Vulgar Latin cassare, a verb expressing the basic idea of breaking.
Usage tips
- The direct object follows casser without a preposition, while se casser supplies the intransitive pattern.