Break down, for starters, is a phrasal verb. It could mean "to cry," (He broke down in tears.) It also means "to stop working." But it's only used for movable or mechanical objects (Don't blame me if your car breaks down) Break down also means "to tabulate or to classify" (Sarah breaks down the lists of the things she needed to buy.) There are few more definitions to it and I suggest you try to search for phrasal verbs in the internet for better reference. Cheers!

Hi Shaimaa, here are more dictionary definitions for you: break down vb (adverb) 1. (intr) to cease to function; become ineffective communications had broken down 2. to yield or cause to yield, esp to strong emotion or tears she broke down in anguish 3. (tr) to crush or destroy 4. (Psychiatry) (intr) to have a nervous breakdown 5. to analyse or be subjected to analysis 6. (Chemistry) to separate or cause to separate into simpler chemical elements; decompose 7. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Forestry) (tr) NZ to saw (a large log) into planks break it down Austral and NZ informal a. stop it b. don't expect me to believe that; come off it n breakdown 1. an act or instance of breaking down; collapse 2. (Psychiatry) short for nervous breakdown 3. an analysis or classification of something into its component parts he prepared a breakdown of the report 4. (Electronics) the sudden electrical discharge through an insulator or between two electrodes in a vacuum or gas discharge tube 5. (Engineering / Electrical Engineering) Electrical engineering the sudden transition, dependent on the bias magnitude, from a high to a low dynamic resistance in a semiconductor device 6. (Performing Arts / Dancing) a lively American country dance

"mental break down" <- to lose touch with reality, usually due to stress.

Thanks a lot Dina! :))

If something broke down , an electrical appliance for example , it means that : something went wrong with it * Example : My television broke down yesterday ; that's why I'm going to the technician now If a building broke down then it collapsed انهار =) Hope this helped