Common Collocations with BREAK, CATCH and PAY

BREAK

smash, fracture a bone, shatter, stop functioning, descansar, hacer pausa
To physically break something: break a glass / break a limb (arm or leg)
break someone’s heart
break a habit – to break a bad habit, replace it with a good one
break a promise (make, keep a promise)
break a record – Have we broken the record for the most podcasts recorded in 3 days?
break the ice – What are your favourite ‘ice-breakers’?
break the law – Have you ever broken the law?
break the news to someone
break the rules ‘Rules are made to be broken’
break wind = to expel air via the anus (to fart)

CATCH

coger, pillar (por sorpresa-he was caught stealing a car), atrapar, agarrar, pescar (to catch a fish),
catch a ball – coger
catch a bus/train – coger / tomar
catch a/the cold / flu / your death
catch a thief
catch fire
catch sight of
catch your breath – recuperar el aliento
catch someone’s eye/attention – a waiter in a restaurant
catch someone red-handed/at it
Where’s the catch? – ¿Cuál es la trampa?
There must be a catch here somewhere – Aquí debe de haber trampa
(I’ll) catch you later! (informal) ¡nos vemos!
You can catch me at my office.

PAY

Pay with money: pay a fine / pay the bill / pay cash/by credit card
You can also pay a/the price (as a consequence of something)
pay attention – presta atención
pay someone a compliment – hacer cumplidos a alguien (to return the compliment)
pay someone a visit
pay your respects (when someone dies / passes away)
pay for your mistakes

*Dispones de más PODCAST en inglés publicados en los cuadernos anteriores
a los que puedes acceder directamente así como al índice de su contenido.