在英语中，破折号（─）用单词 dash 表示，其主要用在非正式文体中，用法与冒号、分号或括号相同。比如：
- I'm bored by history─dates and battles and all that stuff.
我厌烦历史——尽是些年代啦战争啦什么的。 - He behaves very oddly at times─I don't think he's quite all there.
他有时候怪里怪气的——我觉得他脑筋不大正常。 - My father - who rarely gets angry - really lost his temper.
我父亲真的发脾气了——他是很少生气的。
此外，破折号常常用来引出补充说明或出人意料的事情。
- 说慢点儿——你都把我搞糊涂了。我真搞不懂你在说什么。
Slow down a little─you're muddling me. I really couldn't fathom what you are talking about. - 这对夫妇未能跨越他们之间的鸿沟。他们的整个婚姻都是在做戏——他们从未相爱过。
The couple failed to bridge the chasm between them. Their whole marriage had been a charade─they had never loved each other.
值得注意的是，英语中的破折号与连字符（-）很容易混淆，要小心区别。
