How do you use "Broke" in a sentence?

I'm completely broke. Can't afford it—I'm broke. We were broke after the trip. Going broke isn't fun.

Broke

Q: What does "Broke" mean?

Having no money Universal slang for having no money. More American than British (who prefer 'skint'), but understood everywhere. Implies temporary state.

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

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Meaning: Having no money

没钱、身无分文

Sin dinero, pelado

お金がない、すっからかん

돈이 없는, 빈털터리인

Universal slang for having no money. More American than British (who prefer 'skint'), but understood everywhere. Implies temporary state.

普遍的俚语，表示没钱。美国用语多于英国（英国人更喜欢用'skint'），但到处都能理解。暗示暂时的状态。

Argot universal para no tener dinero. Más americano que británico (que prefieren 'skint'), pero entendido en todas partes. Implica estado temporal.

お金がないことを表す普遍的なスラング。イギリスよりアメリカ的（イギリス人は'skint'を好む）だが、どこでも通じる。一時的な状態を意味する。

돈이 없다는 뜻으로 전 세계적으로 통용되는 속어. 영국에서는 'skint'를 더 선호하지만 어디서든 이해된다. 일시적인 상태를 암시한다.

Examples

I'm completely broke.
我彻底没钱了。
Estoy completamente pelado.
完全にすっからかんだ。
완전 빈털터리야.
Can't afford it—I'm broke.
买不起——我没钱。
No puedo pagarlo—estoy sin blanca.
買えない——金欠だ。
살 여유가 없어—돈이 없거든.
We were broke after the trip.
旅行后我们身无分文。
Quedamos pelados después del viaje.
旅行の後、すっからかんだった。
여행 다녀와서 빈털터리가 됐어.
Going broke isn't fun.
破产可不好玩。
Quedarse sin dinero no es divertido.
金欠になるのは楽しくない。
빈털터리가 되는 건 재미없어.

Pronunciation

/brəʊk/

Usage Guide

Context: financial state, excuses

Tone: rueful, matter-of-fact

✓ Do Say

I'm broke.
我没钱了
Estoy pelado
金欠だ
나 빈털터리야.
Completely broke.
彻底没钱
Completamente pelado
完全に金欠
완전 빈털터리.
Going broke.
要破产了
Quedándome sin dinero
破産しそう
파산하다.

✗ Don't Say

Very informal
非常非正式
Muy informal
とてもくだけた表現
매우 비격식적
British prefer 'skint'
英国人更喜欢'skint'
Los británicos prefieren 'skint'
イギリス人は'skint'を好む
영국에서는 'skint'를 더 많이 씀

Common Mistakes

Implies temporary state
Different from poor (permanent)

Origin & History

From 'broken' in financial sense—your finances are broken, you have no functioning money. American usage from 19th century.

Etymology: From broken (finances broken/non-functional)

First recorded: American slang from 19th century

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common in American media; 2 Broke Girls TV show

Regional notes: American origin, universal. British also use 'skint.'

Variations

BrokeCompletely brokeFlat brokeStone broke