Meaning
1. 机械故障或失灵
“Break down”常用于描述机器或设备出现故障。例如，你可以说：“My car broke down on the highway.”，意思是“我的车在高速公路上抛锚了”。
2. 分解或分析
这个短语也可以表示将一件复杂的事情分解为更小的部分来理解或分析。例如：“Let’s break down the project into smaller tasks.”，意思是“让我们把这个项目分解成更小的任务”。
3. 情感崩溃
在情感层面上，“break down”可以表示一个人情绪崩溃或失去控制。例如：“She broke down in tears after hearing the news.”，意思是“听到消息后她泪流满面”。
4. 失败或瓦解
此外，它还可以用来形容计划、谈判等未能成功。例如：“Negotiations broke down after several hours.”，意思是“经过几个小时后，谈判破裂了”。
通过这些例子可以看出，“break down”在不同的情境下可以表达不同的意思，因此理解上下文对于正确使用这个短语非常重要。Today's Sentences
01
My car broke down again.
Situation
You’re late!
What happened?
发生了什么事？
Don’t even ask.
My car broke down again on the way here.
我来这里的路上车又坏了。
Seriously?
That’s like the third time this month.
这已经是这个月的第三次了。
I know.
At this point, I feel like this car is such a burden.
此时，我觉得这辆车真是个负担。
02
I broke down in laughter when I saw the photos.
Situation
So how was your high school reunion?
Hilarious!
I broke down when I saw the photos.
看到照片时我忍不住笑出声来。
Really?
Was it that bad?
有那么糟糕吗？
Let’s just say funny haircuts and questionable fashion choices.
But some of the best memories were from high school!
但一些最美好的回忆来自高中！
Writer's Note
"Break down" is an intransitive, transitive, separable and inseparable phrasal verb.
- Intransitive - Does not require a direct object to complete its meaning.
Example 1: The food broke down in the digestive system.
Example 2: Plastic can take hundreds of years to break down.
Example 3: She broke down in tears during the speech. - Transitive - Requires a direct object to receive the action.
Example 1: Let me break down the costs for you.
Example 2: Firefighters broke down the wall to reach the child.
Example 3: Can you break this process down step by step? - Separable - When an object can be placed between the particle "break" and the verb "down" can be separated.
Example 1: Let me break this problem down into smaller steps.
Example 2: They had to break the door down to rescue the dog.
Example 3: Can you break the data down by category? - Inseparable - When the particle and verb cannot be separated. The particle must stay directly next to the verb.
Example 1: She broke down in tears during the movie.
Example 2: My truck broke down on the way home.
Example 3: This plastic will break down over time.
例子 1：食物在消化系统中分解。
例子 2：塑料可能需要数百年才能分解。
例子 3：她在演讲中泪流满面。
例子 1: 让我为你分解成本。
例子 2: 消防员拆掉墙壁以救孩子。
例子 3: 你能一步步分解这个过程吗？
例子 1：让我将这个问题分解成更小的步骤。
例子 2：他们不得不破门而入去救狗。
例子 3：你能按类别分解这些数据吗？
例子 1：她在电影中“broke down”流下了眼泪。
例子 2：我的卡车在回家的路上“broke down”了。
例子 3：这种塑料会随着时间的推移“break down”。
Related Words: Analyze, collapse, crumble, decompose, disassemble, disintegrate, divide, explain, fail, malfunction, partition, separate, simplify, stop working, unravel
