break even — no profit or loss
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to have no profit or loss after all costs are paid; to earn just enough money to cover expenses.
Say it like a native
Textbook The enterprise achieved a position of fiscal equilibrium with neither profit nor loss.
Native We just about broke even.
'Fiscal equilibrium' is accountant-formal; 'break even' is the everyday term.
Pattern: break even
In use
- After paying for the venue and food, the event just managed to break even.money
- If I started a small business, my main goal in the first year would be to break even, so I wouldn't lose money.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ We broke the even this month.
✓ We broke even this month.
Fixed phrase 'break even' — no 'the'.
Common collocations
break even— just about, barely, finally, manage to
Don't confuse it
'Make a profit' means you earn more than you spend. 'Break even' means your earnings and costs are equal.