Breaks something into pieces, or comes apart through impact, pressure, or force.
Examples
Le choc brise la vitre en mille morceaux.
The impact breaks the window into a thousand pieces.
La branche sèche se brise sous le poids de la neige.
The dry branch breaks under the weight of the snow.
Elle brise le bâton contre la pierre.
She breaks the stick against the stone.
Une vague se brise sur les rochers.
A wave breaks on the rocks.
Le marteau brise la dalle trop fragile.
The hammer breaks the slab because it is too fragile.
La lumière se brise dans le prisme.
The light refracts in the prism.
Le vase tombe et se brise sur le carrelage.
The vase falls and shatters on the tile floor.
Similar words
casser
rompre
fracturer
fendre
fracasser
éclater
Break or end something abstract
verb
abstract
neutral
Interrupts, ends, or destroys an agreement, silence, habit, link, or other non-physical continuity.
Examples
Sa réponse brise le silence de la salle.
His answer breaks the silence in the room.
Cette décision brise l'accord conclu la veille.
This decision breaks the agreement reached the day before.
Le témoignage brise enfin l'omerta.
The testimony finally breaks the omerta.
Un rire soudain brise la tension.
A sudden laugh breaks the tension.
Le scandale brise la confiance du public.
The scandal breaks the public's trust.
La réforme brise une vieille habitude administrative.
The reform breaks an old administrative habit.
Le départ de Marie brise l'élan du projet.
Marie's departure breaks the project's momentum.
Similar words
rompre
interrompre
abolir
dissoudre
défaire
couper
Crush or exhaust
verb
emotional
neutral
Weakens someone deeply in body, spirit, or hope, often after grief, strain, or repeated failure.
Examples
La nouvelle le brise au milieu de la nuit.
The news crushes him in the middle of the night.
Cette longue marche brise les jambes des randonneurs.
This long walk wears out the hikers' legs.
L'échec répété brise peu à peu sa volonté.
Repeated failure slowly breaks her will.
La maladie brise son corps sans atteindre son courage.
The illness breaks his body without touching his courage.
Une critique injuste brise son enthousiasme.
An unfair review crushes her enthusiasm.
La fatigue brise l'équipe avant la fin du service.
Fatigue breaks the team before the end of the shift.
Le deuil brise la famille pendant plusieurs mois.
Grief breaks the family for several months.
Similar words
épuiser
accabler
abattre
anéantir
broyer
démoraliser
Etymology
The wind noun is recorded in French from the late sixteenth century and probably comes through Spanish brisa, with wider Romance relatives such as Italian brezza. The verb form belongs to briser, an older French verb for breaking into pieces, whose deeper origin is uncertain.
FAQ
What does brise mean as a noun?
As a noun, brise is a feminine French word for a light wind or breeze, often near the sea or in pleasant weather.
What verb form is brise?
Brise is a present-tense and imperative form of briser, used in sentences such as il brise or elle brise.
Can brise mean break a silence or agreement?
Yes. The verb form can mean that something interrupts, ends, or breaks an abstract thing such as silence, trust, or an agreement.
Is brise the same as brisée or brisé?
No. Brise without an accent is the breeze noun or a verb form. Brisé and brisée are past-participle or adjective forms meaning broken.
What is the pronunciation of brise?
Brise is pronounced /bʁiz/, with the final written e silent in standard French.
What are useful words related to brise?
For the noun, useful related words include vent, rafale, and brise de mer. For the verb form, related words include bris, rupture, and cassure.
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