break up a vase

[miwalko]

Hi,
is it natural to use break up in a breaking sense with a physical object, as in The child broke up the vase, as an alternative to break without up?
Thanks.

 

[Barb_D]

No.

You can use "break up" when to make something smaller but still keep parts that go together - I broke up the class into four teams of four.

 

[miwalko]

Thank you, Barb_D. But then, can you drop up in cases where you can use break up? Apart from your example, also in:
1/ She broke up a chocolate bar.
2/ The river ice finally broke up.
I'm trying to find out to what extent break - break up are interchangeable.

 

[emsr2d2]

"To break up" means "to divide" or "to separate". "To break" means "to damage".