briser

to break; snap; to become broken; snap

“Est-ce que c'est vraiment une promesse si tu sais que tu vas la briser ?” — Is it really a promise if you know you’re going to break it?

Inherited from Middle French briser, from Old French brisier (“to break to pieces by a shock or violent blow, bust”), from Late Latin brisāre, of uncertain further origin. Possibly of Germanic origin, from Frankish *bristijan, *bristan, *brestan (“to burst, break, split, shatter”), from Proto-Germanic *brestaną (“to break, burst”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrest- (“to separate, burst”); compare English burst.