English–German

“break down” in German

German

Pronunciation

IPA/kaˈpʊtˌgeːən/

Example

Mein Handy geht kaputt.

My phone is breaking down.

Illustration for kaputtgehen (break down)

How to say “break down” in German

“Break down” in German is kaputtgehen.

An object's useful function collapses, leaving the object effectively out of service.

Full entry for kaputtgehen: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with kaputtgehen

Das Auto geht kaputt, wenn der Motor überhitzt.

The car breaks down when the engine overheats.

Tips for using kaputtgehen

  • 'Kaputtgehen' describes the failure event, while 'kaputt sein' describes the resulting state: 'Das Handy geht kaputt' versus 'Das Handy ist kaputt'.

“break down” in other languages