En 15 segundos
- Covers costs exactly.
- No profit, no loss.
- Financial stability point.
- Crucial for business survival.
Significado
Significa que no obtuviste ganancias, pero tampoco perdiste dinero. Terminaste con la misma cantidad con la que empezaste.
Ejemplos clave
3 de 12Texting a friend about a concert
Hey, I sold my extra ticket for face value, so I finally managed to `break even` on the whole trip!
I managed to recover my costs exactly.
Job interview (Zoom call)
Our goal for the first year is to reach profitability, but realistically, we aim to `break even` by Q4.
Our goal is to cover all expenses within the fourth quarter.
Instagram caption for a small business
It's been a wild ride launching 'Crafty Creations'! We're thrilled to announce we've officially hit our `break-even` point! 🎉 Next stop: PROFIT! 🚀 #SmallBiz #StartupLife #BreakEven
We have reached the point where revenue equals costs.
Contexto cultural
In the US 'hustle culture,' breaking even is often seen as the first step toward the 'American Dream.' Startups celebrate their 'break-even day' with office parties. British speakers might use 'break even' but also frequently use 'clear one's costs' or 'cover oneself.' It is used commonly in the context of betting on horse races. In Japanese business culture, breaking even is sometimes viewed more conservatively. Companies may prioritize long-term stability over quick profits, making the break-even point a crucial safety metric. In the global poker community, 'breaking even' is often joked about as 'the best a loser can hope for.' It's a universal term in casinos from Macau to Las Vegas.
Use it as a Milestone
In business presentations, use 'break even' to show you have a realistic plan. It sounds more grounded than promising immediate millions.
Hyphenation Matters
Remember: 'We will break even' (verb) vs. 'Our break-even point' (adjective).
En 15 segundos
- Covers costs exactly.
- No profit, no loss.
- Financial stability point.
- Crucial for business survival.
What It Means
Break even is a super useful term. It marks the exact point where costs meet revenue. You're not in the red, and you're not in the green. Think of it as a financial tie game. All your expenses are paid for. No profit, no loss. It's the baseline for any business venture. It's the moment you stop bleeding money. It's the first victory, even if it's a small one. It means your efforts have paid off just enough. You've reached stability.
How To Use It
You use break even when discussing financial performance. It's common in business contexts. You can talk about a company's goal to break even. Or you can describe a past event where it happened. For example, "We expect to break even by the end of the year." Or, "The project finally managed to break even last quarter." It's often used with verbs like to, to manage, to aim, to need. You can also use it as a noun phrase: "We reached our break-even point." It's about reaching zero financially. It's a crucial milestone for survival.
Real-Life Examples
- A startup CEO on a Zoom call: "Our latest projections show we should
break evenwithin six months if sales continue to climb." - A vlogger reviewing a new product: "After calculating the cost of materials and my time, I realized I'd only just
break evenif I sold these handmade candles." - A friend texting about a side hustle: "My Etsy shop is doing okay. I think I'll finally
break eventhis month!" - A news report on a struggling airline: "The company hopes to
break evennext year after significant restructuring." - A gamer discussing in-game purchases: "I spent so much on this new expansion, I'll be lucky to
break evenselling my old items."
When To Use It
Use break even when you're talking about financial zero. This applies to businesses, projects, or even personal investments. If you've invested money, you break even when you get that exact amount back. It's about covering your initial outlay. Think of launching a new app. You need to cover development costs. Once you do, you break even. It’s also used when discussing profitability targets. Many businesses aim to break even first. Then they focus on making a profit. It's a key performance indicator. It shows financial viability.
When NOT To Use It
Don't use break even when you've made a profit. If you earned more than you spent, you've surpassed it. You're in the profit zone. Also, avoid it if you've lost money. That's the opposite of breaking even. You're operating at a loss. It's not for discussing non-financial goals. You can't break even on friendships. Or break even on a marathon. Unless you get paid to run, of course! It's strictly for financial contexts. Don't confuse it with simply 'getting by'.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mix it up with other financial terms. They might say "make profit" when they mean break even. Or "lose money" when they mean they haven't reached it yet. Sometimes, they use it incorrectly in sentences. Forgetting the 'even' part is also common. This leads to confusion.
✗ I will break.
→ ✓ I will break even.
✗ We broke the cost.
→ ✓ We managed to break even.
✗ The business is breaking.
→ ✓ The business is trying to break even.
✗ We broke profit.
→ ✓ We managed to break even.
Similar Expressions
Cover costs: This is very close. It means you've earned enough to pay for your expenses. It often implies reaching thebreak-evenpoint. It's slightly less specific thanbreak even. It focuses purely on expenses.Recoup investment: This means getting back the money you initially put in. It's similar tobreak evenbut emphasizes the return of the original sum. It doesn't necessarily account for ongoing operational costs.Get back to zero: This is a more informal way to saybreak even. It's less common in formal business settings. It paints a picture of returning to a neutral state.In the black: This means making a profit. It's the opposite ofin the red(making a loss). So,break evenis the point *before* you get into the black.In the red: This means operating at a loss. It's the financial danger zone.Break evenis the escape route from the red.
Common Variations
Break-even point: This is a noun phrase. It refers to the specific level of sales or revenue needed. "Ourbreak-evenpoint is $10,000 in sales." It's very common in business plans.Break-even analysis: This is a study. It calculates thebreak-evenpoint. "We need to perform abreak-evenanalysis." It helps in financial planning.Break-even price: This is the price needed. It allows you tobreak even. "What's thebreak-evenprice for this product?"
Memory Trick
Imagine a seesaw. On one side, you have all your costs (lemons, sugar, rent). On the other side, you have your revenue (money from sales). When the seesaw is perfectly balanced, flat on the ground, that's break even. If one side goes down, you're losing money. If the other side goes down, you're making a profit. So, think: "The seesaw is balanced, we break the even line!" It's the moment of perfect financial equilibrium.
Quick FAQ
- Is
break evena good thing? It's neutral, but a crucial first step! It means survival. - Can you
break evenon a single sale? Usually not. It's about total revenue vs. total costs. - What if I
break evenbut still have debt? You've covered operating costs, but not necessarily past loans.
Notas de uso
This phrase is primarily used in financial and business contexts. While versatile in formality, avoid using it in purely non-financial situations unless employing a clear metaphor. Ensure clarity by specifying the period or venture (e.g., 'break even this quarter,' 'break even on the project').
Use it as a Milestone
In business presentations, use 'break even' to show you have a realistic plan. It sounds more grounded than promising immediate millions.
Hyphenation Matters
Remember: 'We will break even' (verb) vs. 'Our break-even point' (adjective).
The 'Moral Victory'
In casual talk, saying you 'broke even' is often a way to save face after a risky situation.
Ejemplos
12Hey, I sold my extra ticket for face value, so I finally managed to `break even` on the whole trip!
I managed to recover my costs exactly.
Here, 'break even' means recovering the exact amount spent on the trip by selling the ticket.
Our goal for the first year is to reach profitability, but realistically, we aim to `break even` by Q4.
Our goal is to cover all expenses within the fourth quarter.
This is a professional context, setting a realistic financial target for a new venture.
It's been a wild ride launching 'Crafty Creations'! We're thrilled to announce we've officially hit our `break-even` point! 🎉 Next stop: PROFIT! 🚀 #SmallBiz #StartupLife #BreakEven
We have reached the point where revenue equals costs.
Using the noun form 'break-even point' with celebratory emojis for social media.
The film cost $200 million to make, so it needs to earn at least that much just to `break even` before marketing costs.
The film needs to earn $200 million to cover its production costs.
Highlights the scale of costs involved and the basic financial target.
Just reviewed the Q3 report. Looks like we're still a bit short of breaking even. Need to push those sales harder next month.
We haven't yet covered all our expenses for the third quarter.
Expresses a slight disappointment that the break-even point hasn't been reached yet.
Based on our financial modeling, the project is projected to `break even` within 18 months of launch.
The project is expected to cover all its costs after 18 months.
A formal projection using the phrase in a business context.
✗ My crypto investment broke.
✗ My crypto investment broke.
Incorrect usage. 'Broke' implies it's damaged or non-functional, not that it lost money.
✗ The new cafe is trying to break profit.
✗ The new cafe is trying to break profit.
Incorrect. 'Break profit' isn't a standard phrase. It should be 'break even' or 'make a profit'.
I spent $50 on supplies for these bracelets, so I need to sell them for at least $5 each to `break even`.
I need to sell them for at least $5 each to cover my costs.
Calculating the price needed per item to cover the total cost.
I only used the streaming service twice last month, so financially, I didn't really `break even` on the subscription fee.
The value I got didn't match the cost of the subscription.
Applying the concept to personal spending, implying the cost wasn't justified by the usage.
After a challenging first quarter, the company managed to `break even` in the second quarter, exceeding initial expectations.
The company covered its costs in the second quarter, performing better than expected.
Reporting a positive financial outcome – reaching the break-even point.
My addiction to collecting vintage action figures means I'll probably never `break even`, but hey, it makes me happy! 😂
My hobby costs more than I could ever earn back.
A lighthearted admission that the hobby is financially draining, humorously contrasting with the idea of breaking even.
Ponte a prueba
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'break even'.
Last year we lost money, but this year we finally ________.
The sentence refers to 'this year' as a completed or ongoing success compared to 'last year', and 'finally' usually triggers the past tense in this context.
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly as an adjective?
Select the correct option:
When used as an adjective before a noun, 'break-even' should be hyphenated.
Match the situation to the most likely outcome.
You spend $100 on a stock and sell it for $100.
Since the buy price and sell price are identical, you have neither gained nor lost money.
🎉 Puntuación: /3
Ayudas visuales
Profit vs. Loss vs. Break Even
Banco de ejercicios
3 ejerciciosLast year we lost money, but this year we finally ________.
The sentence refers to 'this year' as a completed or ongoing success compared to 'last year', and 'finally' usually triggers the past tense in this context.
Select the correct option:
When used as an adjective before a noun, 'break-even' should be hyphenated.
You spend $100 on a stock and sell it for $100.
Since the buy price and sell price are identical, you have neither gained nor lost money.
🎉 Puntuación: /3
Tutoriales en video
Encuentra tutoriales en video sobre esta expresión en YouTube.
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasYes, it is standard business terminology. However, for more formal writing, you might use 'reached the break-even point.'
No. 'Break' is the only part that changes for tense. The past is 'broke even.'
The opposites are 'making a profit' (positive) or 'taking a loss' (negative).
Primarily yes, but it can be used metaphorically for effort or emotions, meaning you got back what you put in.
The noun form is 'break-even' (often used with 'point' or 'analysis').
Use 'will' or 'going to': 'We will break even next month.'
Use a hyphen for the adjective (break-even point) and no hyphen for the verb (to break even).
Not usually. For scores, we say 'tie' or 'draw.' 'Break even' is specifically about costs and gains.
It means you reached the point of no loss, but only by a very small margin.
Yes, it is universally used across all major English dialects.
Frases relacionadas
in the red
contrastLosing money; having more debt than profit.
in the black
contrastMaking a profit.
make ends meet
similarTo have enough money to pay for basic expenses.
zero-sum game
builds onA situation where one person's gain is exactly equal to another's loss.
