Commonly confused
Break up vs Break down
“Break up” and “Break down” look alike but pull in different directions. Here is the quick way to tell them apart — with examples, the mistake to avoid, and a check.
Which one do you mean?
People break up (end a relationship); machines break down (stop working). Break down can also mean collapse in tears.
Break up
End a relationship, or split something into smaller parts.
Break down
Stop working, collapse emotionally, or analyse in detail.
break up
- 1
Break into pieces
- 2
End a relationship or gathering
Correct use
“The old boat broke up on the rocks.”
The old boat broke into pieces on the rocks.
break down
- 1
(of a vehicle or machine) stop working
- 2
Lose emotional control and start crying
- 3
Separate something into smaller parts to understand it
Correct use
“The car broke down on the motorway.”
The car stopped working on the motorway.
Common mistake
My car broke up on the motorway.
My car broke down on the motorway.
Machines break down.
Test yourself
“The old boat broke up on the rocks.” What does it mean?
More pairs to tell apart
Sink In — iOS & Android
Stop mixing them up
Sink In turns confusable pairs like this into quick contrast drills, so the right particle becomes automatic instead of a guess.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
