'Broke' in Spanish: How to Translate It Correctly for Money, Objects, and News
By Chloe Bennett
English crime reports routinely deploy the phrasal verb "break in" to describe forced entry, burglary, or unauthorized digital access. Spanish rejects this phrasal structure entirely. Translating "Someone broke into my house" requires restructuring the sentence based on the legal or physical reality of the incident.
When physical force damages locks, windows, or doors, Mexican and Spanish legal codes categorize the action as forzar la entrada or entrar por la fuerza.
A police blotter reporting a domestic burglary uses the formal legal term allanamiento de morada (home invasion / criminal trespass). A municipal crime report will document: “Dos sospechosos fueron arrestados por allanamiento de morada tras forzar una ventana trasera” (Two suspects were arrested for breaking and entering after forcing open a rear window).
In casual daily conversation, ordinary speakers omit the formal legal terminology. They simply say se metieron a robar:
- Se metieron a mi departamento anoche. (Someone broke into my apartment last night.)
- Intentaron meterse a la fuerza a la sucursal bancaria. (They attempted to break into the bank branch.)
The same distinction governs technology breaches. When hackers infiltrate a database or "break into" an operational server, IT security teams write vulnerar un sistema or infiltrar una base de datos. Substituting a direct translation of "breaking" here immediately flags the text as machine-generated.
Chloe Bennett explores the intersection of pop culture, streaming entertainment, digital trends, and contemporary lifestyle. Her weekly commentary reaches thousands of culture enthusiasts.
