Meaning trap
break down
stop working
If a machine or vehicle breaks down, it stops working and cannot be used until it is fixed.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
If a machine or vehicle breaks down, it stops working and cannot be used until it is fixed.
Another meaning of 'break down' is 'lose emotional control'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
My car broke down on the way to work this morning.
During my trip, our train broke down for two hours, which made us miss our connection.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: My laptop broke down, so I can't open the file.
Say: My laptop crashed / stopped working, so I can't open the file.
'Break down' suits vehicles and big machines; for computers/phones natives usually say 'crash' or 'stop working'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Break down' is the natural verb for a machine failing; 'ceased to function' is over-formal.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
break down + machine
- the car
- the bus
- the engine
- halfway
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- break down (lose emotional control) — Another meaning of 'break down' is 'lose emotional control'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.