German Conversation · Level 50
75 words
German word
zerfallen
Pronunciation
IPA/tsɛɐ̯ˈfalən/
Meaning
- verbcrumble
Example
Das alte Haus zerfällt langsam.
The old house is slowly crumbling.
More examples
Das Molekül zerfällt bei hoher Temperatur in seine Einzelteile.
The molecule breaks down into its component parts at high temperature.
Core concept
A solid or organized whole loses its cohesion and breaks into loose pieces or separate groups.
Common phrases
in seine Einzelteile zerfallen
fall apart into its component parts
Similar words
auseinanderfallen: To gradually split apart and scatter into separate pieces.
zusammenbrechen: To collapse suddenly and become unusable.
Definition in German
sich in mehrere Teile oder Gruppen auflösen und dabei den Zusammenhalt verlieren
Word origin
German zerfallen combines the separative prefix zer- with fallen 'to fall', continuing Middle High German zervallen and extending from physical breaking apart to decay and disintegration.
Usage tips
- Zerfallen is intransitive and normally takes sein in the perfect, as in ist zerfallen.
Other meanings
- decomposeverb
- split upverb
Opposites
- stabilisierenstabilizeverb
Related words
- Zerfallsprozessdecomposition processnoun
- der Zerfalldisintegrationnoun