When an object breaks down and stops functioning properly, it gets out of order, in Spanish, se estropea. Los objetos estropeados (broken objects) usually don't change their appearance: they look unbroken, but they don’t work. Se estropean ordenadores, coches, relojes, televisores... The same verb is used for food: leche, carne, pescado, verdura...
There are some specific verbs: caducarse or pudrirse are often used to speak about food (decay, spoil, participle podrido), cortarse is used with milk, lamp bulbs burn out with the verb fundirse:
El ordenador está estropeado = El ordenador no funciona
La carne está podrida = La carne está estropeada = La carne no está bien
La leche está cortada = La leche está estropeada = La leche no está bien
La bombilla se ha fundido = La bombilla está estropeada, no se enciende
When an object breaks into fragments, the Spanish use the verb romperse (with the irregular participle roto). It stands for many verbs: tear down, break down, crack up, fall apart... However, a broken object can still be used in some cases:
Este vaso está roto, pero mi madre lo sigue usando – This glass has a chip, but my mum still uses it
El libro está roto – The book is torn
Se me ha caído un plato y se ha roto – My plate fell down and broke
With parts of the body we also use romperse:
Me he roto una pierna – I have broken my leg
Therefore, to speak about external damage we use romperse, and for spoilt food and appliances which are out of order we use estropearse.
Both verbs can be used with one and the same object:
Se ha ido la luz y el televisor se ha estropeado – The lights went out, and the TV set broke down
Se ha caído la tele y se ha roto – The TV set fell down and crashed
The same with the clothes:
No quiero ponerme esta camisa, está estropeada – I don’t want to put on this shirt, it’s worn out
No quiero ponerme esta camisa, está rota – I don’t want to put on this shirt, it’s torn
The verb estropear is used to talk about situations:
Odio a Carlota. Se va a casar con Javier, pero voy a estropearle la boda = I hate Carlota. She’s going to marry Javier, but I’m going to ruin her wedding
The verb romper is used to talk about promises and agreements:
María ya no se casa: ha roto el compromiso con su novio– Maria isn’t going to get married, she has broken the engagement with her boyfriend
Paula y yo ya no salimos juntos: hemos roto – Paula and I are no longer dating: we have split up
In colloquial Spanish, the verb cargarse can substitute both romper and estropear:
¡Te has cargado mi ordenador! = You’ve wrecked/fucked up my computer!