ломать vs сломать
lomát' vs slomát' — break/damage repeatedly vs break/damage once
Register: neutral
What it really means
Ломать describes breaking, damaging, or disrupting as a process, habit, or repeated action. Сломать means to break or damage something in one completed event, often leaving it unusable.
Examples in natural speech
Не ломай игрушку.
Do not break the toy.
Он сломал телефон.
He broke his phone.
Дети ломают ветки в саду.
The children are breaking branches in the garden.
Я случайно сломала очки.
I accidentally broke my glasses.
Этот ключ легко ломается.
This key breaks easily.
Common mistakes
Do not use ломать to report the completed accident: Я сломал очки tells what happened and the resulting damage. Ломал очки would instead suggest an ongoing attempt or repeated damage.
Memory tip
The с- in сломать is the snap at the end of the action; ломать is the pressure, twisting, or repeated breaking before that result.
Frequently asked questions
Can ломать refer to rules or plans?
Yes. Ломать планы means disrupt plans, and ломать правило means break a rule; the same aspect contrast still applies.
Why is «ключ легко ломается» reflexive?
Ломаться describes something breaking on its own or through use. Ломать / сломать require an agent who breaks something.
Does сломать always mean smash into pieces?
No. It often means make something stop working, as with a phone, glasses, chair, or arm, without reducing it to pieces.
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