German word

Panne

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpanə/

Meaning

  • feminine nounbreakdown

Example

Wir hatten gestern eine Panne und kamen zu spät.

We had a breakdown yesterday and arrived late.

Illustration for Panne (breakdown)

More examples

Sie rief den Pannendienst an, um eine Panne zu melden.

She called roadside assistance to report a breakdown.

Core concept

A normal journey or task is interrupted by an unexpected technical mishap that causes inconvenience.

Common phrases

  • eine Panne haben

    have a breakdown

  • eine Panne melden

    report a breakdown

  • eine Panne beheben

    fix a breakdown

Similar words

Defekt: A serious mechanical fault that requires repair or replacement of a part.
Schaden: Damage that leaves an object or structure with reduced value or function.
Störung: A disruption that prevents normal operation or interrupts a service.
Ausfall: A failure that stops equipment or a service from being usable.

Definition in German

Störung oder Fehlfunktion, oft unerwartet auftretend und im Alltag für verschiedene technische Probleme gebraucht.

Word origin

The German noun Panne comes from French panne in the sense of a failure or breakdown, rather than from an inherited Germanic word.

Usage tips

  • German commonly uses Panne with haben, as in eine Panne haben, to describe experiencing such an incident.

Other meanings

  • hitchnoun
  • malfunctionnoun
  • puncturenoun

Opposites

  • Betriebsbereitschaftoperational readinessnoun
  • Fehlerfreiheitfaultlessnessnoun

Related words

  • Pannenhilferoadside assistancenoun
  • Pannenstatistikbreakdown statisticsnoun
  • pannenanfälligbreakdown-proneadjective

Word lists with this word