romper el cristal
/rompeɾ el kɾistal/from spelling rules
For quebrar el vidrio, meaning to break glass in Spanish, the most common phrase is romper el cristal.
romper el cristal means to break the glass, for example a window pane.
What does it mean word for word?
romper means to break, el means the and cristal means glass.
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA is /rompeɾ el kɾistal/. The first r is a strong trill.
Did you know?
- The word cristal originates from the Ancient Greek word krústallos, which meant 'ice'. Ancient people believed that clear quartz was actually ice that had frozen so hard it could never melt.
- The word cristal can be a 'false friend' because it refers to the material or a pane of glass, while the drinking vessel itself is called un vaso.
- While romper is the standard way to say break, in many Latin American countries you might hear people use quebrar instead. Although they are often used interchangeably, 'quebrar' can sometimes imply a more forceful or violent shattering.
Examples in context
- Ten cuidado de no romper el cristal.Be careful not to break the glass.
- No quiero romper el cristal con la pelota.I don't want to break the glass with the ball.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are cleaning the living room.
- SofíaTen mucho cuidado con esa mesa.Be very careful with that table.
- JavierTranquila, no voy a romper el cristal.Don't worry, I'm not going to break the glass.
- SofíaJavier, es un objeto muy frágil.Javier, it is a very fragile object.
- JavierLo sé, lo moveré con calma.I know, I will move it calmly.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cristal, el, romper, CC BY-SA 4.0.
