BREAK vs. TEAR OR RIP

Good morning. In Spanish the verb romper can be translated into English as break or rip/tear. Do you know what the difference is? Like Catalan, English has two verbs for the action of making something separate into two or more pieces. BREAK: to make something separate into two or more pieces, for example by hitting or dropping it. This verb is used with hard things (glass, bones, etc.) TEAR or RIP: to pull on something so that it separates into pieces. This verb is used with cloth (a shirt, curtains, etc.) Example 1: My five-year old son constantly breaks his toys. Yesterday he broke his new toy car. Example 2: His trousers tore when he bent over to pick up the pencil that he had dropped. Example 3: The curtains are so old that they ripped when I was opening them this morning. You cannot break your socks or rip or tear a window. A window breaks and socks rip or tear. NOTE: This verb tear (rhymes with "air") should not be confused with the noun tear (rhymes with "ear"), which means lágrima. If you have any questions about today's Daily Vitamin, please don't hesitate to contact us. Have a great day and a very relaxing weekend!