Looking up...
破了
pò le
got broken
杯子破了。
The glass got broken.
informal
To become damaged, cracked, or no longer intact.
衣服破了一个洞。
The clothes have a hole in them.
手机屏幕破了。
The phone screen is cracked.
Commonly used for objects losing their physical integrity.
Pro Tip
Resultative Complements
破了 follows the pattern of resultative complements in Chinese, where the verb + 了 indicates the completion of a state change. Similar examples: 吃饱 (chī bǎo, 'ate until full'), 看完 (kàn wán, 'finished watching').
Usage Notes
破了 is the resultative complement form of 破 (pò, 'to break/crack') with the perfective particle 了 (le), indicating completion of the action. It emphasizes the state of being broken rather than the act of breaking.
Word Breakdown
破
to break/crack
verb了
perfective particle indicating completion
particle汉英词典