brak

See also: brák, Brak, bräk, bråk, and břak

English

Adjective

brak (comparative more brak, superlative most brak)

1. (South Africa) Brackish.
   • 1995, Bill Sheat, Gerald Schofield, Complete Gardening in Southern Africa, page 437:

     Brak soils, which continue to be a subject of research, are unlikely to provide a major stumbling block […] However, brak conditions and their effects underline many of the principles of good soil management […]

Noun

brak (plural braks)

1. (South Africa) A dog of mixed breed; a mongrel.

Anagrams

• bark, kbar, krab

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

Russian брак (brak), from German Brack (“defective goods, defect, flaw”).

Noun

brak

1. defect

Declension

Declension of brak

	singular	plural
nominative	brak	braklar
genitive	braknıñ	braklarnıñ
dative	brakqa	braklarğa
accusative	braknı	braklarnı
locative	brakta	braklarda
ablative	braktan	braklardan

References

• Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎^[1], Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN
• “brak”, in Luğatçıq (in Russian)

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech brak, from Middle Low German brak. Compare Polish brak.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbrak]
• Hyphenation: brak

Noun

brak m inan

1. trash, leftovers, refuse (what is designated as bad; what is is leftover after what is good is taken)

Declension

Declension of brak (velar masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	brak	braky
genitive	braku	braků
dative	braku	brakům
accusative	brak	braky
vocative	braku	braky
locative	braku	bracích
instrumental	brakem	braky

Further reading

• “brak”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “brak”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “brak”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /brɑk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: brak
• Rhymes: -ɑk

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch brac. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Adjective

brak (comparative brakker, superlative brakst)

1. brackish
2. (colloquial) bad
3. (colloquial) hungover

Declension

Declension of brak
uninflected	brak
inflected	brakke
comparative	brakker
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		brak	brakker	het brakst het brakste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	brakke	brakkere	brakste
	n. sing.	brak	brakker	brakste
	plural	brakke	brakkere	brakste
definite		brakke	brakkere	brakste
partitive		braks	brakkers	—

Derived terms

• brakheid
• uitbrakken

Descendants

• → Papiamentu: brak
• → Sranan Tongo: brak

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch bracke. Compare German Bracke, French braque, English brach, Italian bracco, Spanish braco. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun

brak m or f (plural brakken, diminutive brakje n)

1. hound, brach (of either sex)

   Synonym: jachthond

Descendants

• ⇒ Afrikaans: brakkie

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

brak

1. singular past indicative of breken

Anagrams

• bark, krab

Gothic

Romanization

brak

1. Romanization of 𐌱𐍂𐌰𐌺

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse brak.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /praːk/

  Rhymes: -aːk

Noun

brak n (genitive singular braks, no plural)

1. crash, din (sound of something breaking)
2. wreckage, broken wood, etc.

Declension

Declension of brak (sg-only neuter)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	brak	brakið
accusative	brak	brakið
dative	braki	brakinu
genitive	braks	braksins

Derived terms

• brak og brestir (“a colossal din”)

Further reading

• “brak” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)

Indonesian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈbrak/ [ˈbrak̚]
• Rhymes: -ak
• Syllabification: brak

Noun

brak (plural brak-brak)

1. (Jepara) workshop

Kashubian

Etymology

Borrowed from Polish brak.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbrak/
• Rhymes: -ak
• Syllabification: brak

Noun

brak m inan

1. lack (non-existence of something)

   Synonym: niedostatk

Derived terms

(verbs):

• braknąc pf, brakòwac impf

Further reading

• Eùgeniusz Gòłąbk (2011) “brak”, in Słownik Polsko-Kaszubski / Słowôrz Pòlskò-Kaszëbsczi‎^[2], volume 1, page 117
• “brak”, in Internetowi Słowôrz Kaszëbsczégò Jãzëka [Internet Dictionary of the Kashubian Language], Fundacja Kaszuby, 2022

Old Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German brak. Compare Old Polish brak.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈbrak/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈbrak/

Noun

brak m inan

1. choice (what is taken n. selected from a group of individuals of the same kind)
2. trash, leftovers, refuse (what is designated as bad; what is is leftover after what is good is taken)

Declension

Declension of brak (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	brak	braky	braci, brakové
genitive	braka, braku	brakú	brakóv
dative	braku	brakoma	brakóm
accusative	brak	braky	braky
vocative	brače	braky	braci, brakové
locative	bracě, braku	brakú	braciech
instrumental	brakem	brakoma	braky

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.
See also Appendix:Old Czech nouns and Appendix:Old Czech pronunciation.

Descendants

• Czech: brak

Further reading

• Jan Gebauer (1903–1916) “brak”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

Old Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German brak. First attested in 1452. Compare Old Czech brak.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /brak/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /brak/

Noun

brak m animacy unattested

1. choice, selection
   • 1912-1930 [1452], Monumenta Iuris cura praepositorum Chartophylacio Maximo Varsoviensi, volume III, page 223:

     Hannus ... tenetur prouido Laurencio... sexagenarium al. sachczyg drzewa, hoc debet sibi presentare in Gdansko in prima aqua in prato sub eleccione al. pod brakem

     [Hannus ... tenetur prouido Laurencio... sexagenarium al. zachcyg drzewa, hoc debet sibi presentare in Gdansko in prima aqua in prato sub eleccione al. pod brakiem]

Derived terms

(verbs):

• brakować impf

Related terms

(nouns):

• brakarz

Descendants

• Polish: brak
• Silesian: brak

References

• Boryś, Wiesław (2005) “brak”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego (in Polish), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, →ISBN
• Sławski, Franciszek (1958-1965) “brak”, in Jan Safarewicz, Andrzej Siudut, editors, Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego [Etymological dictionary of the Polish language] (in Polish), Kraków: Towarzystwo Miłośników Języka Polskiego
• Mańczak, Witold (2017) “brak”, in Polski słownik etymologiczny (in Polish), Kraków: Polska Akademia Umiejętności, →ISBN
• Bańkowski, Andrzej (2000) “brak”, in Etymologiczny słownik języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish)
• B. Sieradzka-Baziur, Ewa Deptuchowa, Joanna Duska, Mariusz Frodyma, Beata Hejmo, Dorota Janeczko, Katarzyna Jasińska, Krystyna Kajtoch, Joanna Kozioł, Marian Kucała, Dorota Mika, Gabriela Niemiec, Urszula Poprawska, Elżbieta Supranowicz, Ludwika Szelachowska-Winiarzowa, Zofia Wanicowa, Piotr Szpor, Bartłomiej Borek, editors (2011–2015), “brak”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN

Polish

Alternative forms

• brák (Lubawa, Ostróda)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish brak.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈbrak/

• (Middle Polish) IPA^(key): /ˈbrak/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ak
• Syllabification: brak

Noun

brak m inan

1. lack (non-existence of something) [with w (+ locative) ‘in what’]
2. defect (fault or malfunction)

   Synonyms: defekt, feler, minus, niedostatek, wada

3. faulty product (defective item that is the result of creation)
4. (obsolete) choice; selection

   Synonym: wybór

Declension

Declension of brak

	singular	plural
nominative	brak	braki
genitive	braku	braków
dative	brakowi	brakom
accusative	brak	braki
instrumental	brakiem	brakami
locative	braku	brakach
vocative	braku	braki

Derived terms

(adjectives):

• bezbrakowy
• brakowy

Trivia

According to Słownik frekwencyjny polszczyzny współczesnej (1990), brak (noun) is one of the most used words in Polish, appearing 28 times in scientific texts, 19 times in news, 63 times in essays, 15 times in fiction, and 12 times in plays, each out of a corpus of 100,000 words, totaling 137 times, making it the 437th most common word in a corpus of 500,000 words.

Verb

brak impf (defective)

1. (impersonal) there is/are no; to be wanting [with genitive ‘what there is not’ and dative ‘for/on whom’]

   Synonym: brakować

   Na parkingu brak wolnych miejsc. ― There is no vacant space in the parking lot.

2. (Far Masovian) Synonym of potrzeba

   Brak mi jesce dwuch złotych do butów. ― I need to more złotys for the boots.

Conjugation

Conjugation of brak def

present tense	brak
past tense	było brak
future tense	będzie brak
conditional	byłoby brak
imperative	niech będzie brak

Descendants

• → Kashubian: brak

Further reading

• brak in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• brak in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• Maria Renata Mayenowa, Stanisław Rospond, Witold Taszycki, Stefan Hrabec, Władysław Kuraszkiewicz (2010-2023) “brak”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish]
• Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814) “brak”, in Słownik języka polskiego
• Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861) “brak”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “brak”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 199
• brak in Narodowy Fotokorpus Języka Polskiego
• Wojciech Grzegorzewicz (1894) “brak”, in “O języku ludowym w powiecie przasnyskim”, in Sprawozdania Komisji Językowej Akademii Umiejętności (in Polish), volume 5, Krakow: Akademia Umiejętności, page 103

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *borkъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /brâːk/

Noun

brȃk m (Cyrillic spelling бра̑к)

1. marriage

Declension

Declension of brak

	singular	plural
nominative	brȃk	brȁkovi
genitive	braka	brakova
dative	braku	brakovima
accusative	brak	brakove
vocative	braku	brakovi
locative	braku	brakovima
instrumental	brakom	brakovima

Derived terms

• brȃčnī

Silesian

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish brak.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbrak/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ak
• Syllabification: brak

Noun

brak m inan

1. lack (non-existence of something)

   Synonym: niydostatek

2. (Cieszyn Silesia) type, kind

   Synonyms: gatōnek, kategoryjŏ, typ, wariant, wariacyjŏ, zorta

Declension

Declension of brak

	singular	plural
nominative	brak	braki
genitive	braku	brakōw
dative	brakowi	brakōm
accusative	brak	braki
instrumental	brakym	brakami/brakōma
locative	braku	brakach
vocative	braku	braki

Derived terms

(verbs):

• braknōńć pf, brakować impf

Further reading

• brak in silling.org

Swedish

Noun

brak n

1. a loud crashing sound like the sound of a large tree falling or a structure collapsing

   Trädet föll med ett brak

   The tree came down with a crash

   Ett brak hördes från vardagsrummet

   A loud crash was heard from the living room

Declension

Declension of brak

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	brak	braks
	definite	braket	brakets
plural	indefinite	brak	braks
	definite	braken	brakens

Derived terms

• brak- (see there for more derived terms)
• brakare (“loud fart”)
• brakfis (“loud fart”)
• brakskit (“loud fart”)

Related terms

• braka

References

• brak in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• brak in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• brak in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Uzbek

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian брак (brak), from Polish brak, from Middle Low German brak (“flaw, defect; breaking”).

Noun

brak (plural braklar)

1. reject, defective product

Declension

Declension of brak

	singular	plural
nominative	brak	braklar
genitive	brakning	braklarning
dative	brakka	braklarga
definite accusative	brakni	braklarni
locative	brakda	braklarda
ablative	brakdan	braklardan
similative	brakdek	braklardek

Possessive forms of brak

1st person singular
	singular	plural
nominative	brakim	braklarim
genitive	brakimning	braklarimning
dative	brakimga	braklarimga
definite accusative	brakimni	braklarimni
locative	brakimda	braklarimda
ablative	brakimdan	braklarimdan
similative	brakimdek	braklarimdek
2nd person singular
	singular	plural
nominative	braking	braklaring
genitive	brakingning	braklaringning
dative	brakingga	braklaringga
definite accusative	brakingni	braklaringni
locative	brakingda	braklaringda
ablative	brakingdan	braklaringdan
similative	brakingdek	braklaringdek
3rd person singular
	singular	plural
nominative	braki	braklari
genitive	brakining	braklarining
dative	brakiga	braklariga
definite accusative	brakini	braklarini
locative	brakida	braklarida
ablative	brakidan	braklaridan
similative	brakidek	braklaridek
1st person plural
	singular	plural
nominative	brakimiz	braklarimiz
genitive	brakimizning	braklarimizning
dative	brakimizga	braklarimizga
definite accusative	brakimizni	braklarimizni
locative	brakimizda	braklarimizda
ablative	brakimizdan	braklarimizdan
similative	brakimizdek	braklarimizdek
2nd person plural
	singular	plural
nominative	brakingiz	braklaringiz
genitive	brakingizning	braklaringizning
dative	brakingizga	braklaringizga
definite accusative	brakingizni	braklaringizni
locative	brakingizda	braklaringizda
ablative	brakingizdan	braklaringizdan
similative	brakingizdek	braklaringizdek
3rd person plural
	singular	plural
nominative	braki	braklari
genitive	brakining	braklarining
dative	brakiga	braklariga
definite accusative	brakini	braklarini
locative	brakida	braklarida
ablative	brakidan	braklaridan
similative	brakidek	braklaridek