Cool MateBroken vs The city is breached
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Broken
Top 1,000 (very common)A2adjective
The city is breached
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Broken
| Broken | The city is breached | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈbrəʊkən/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈbrəʊkən/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ðə ˈsɪti ɪz briːtʃt//🇺🇸 //ðə ˈsɪti ɪz briːtʃt// |
| Meaning | not working or damaged | The city has been damaged or attacked. |
| Example | The window is broken and needs to be fixed. | The city is breached by enemy forces during the night. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | be, get, badly | military breached, security breached, city defenses breached, water breached, system breached |
| Antonyms | whole, intact, fixed | - |
| Common mistakes | Confusing 'broken' with 'broke' (the past tense of 'break'), Using 'broken' in a context where 'damaged' is more appropriate, Forget to use 'broken' with a noun (e.g. 'broken car' not just 'broken') | Confused with 'breeched', which means to be fitted with a garment., Used inappropriately for informal contexts; 'breached' is typically formal., Confused with 'breach' as a noun instead of the verb form. |
| Usage notes | Use 'broken' when describing items that are not functioning or are physically damaged. It is neutral and can be used in both casual and formal contexts. | Use 'breached' when discussing security or physical barriers. Common in formal contexts such as news reports or military discussions. |
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Frequently asked questions: Broken vs The city is breached
What's the difference between Broken and The city is breached?
Broken: not working or damaged The city is breached: The city has been damaged or attacked.
Which is more common: Broken and The city is breached?
Broken is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Broken: The window is broken and needs to be fixed. The city is breached: The city is breached by enemy forces during the night.
Can I use Broken and The city is breached interchangeably?
Not always. Broken and The city is breached are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.