When you're learning German, it's super handy to know how to say something is broken. Here are some phrases you might find useful, depending on the situation and how serious the damage is.
If you need a general way to say something is broken, "Es ist kaputt" is your go-to. You can use it for almost anything. For example, if your phone stops working, you can say, "Mein Handy ist kaputt."
When something just isn’t functioning right, you can say, "Es funktioniert nicht." This works well for electronics or gadgets that aren’t doing their job. Imagine the TV stops working; you’d say, "Der Fernseher funktioniert nicht."
If you want to be a bit more formal, you can use "Es ist defekt," which means something is defective. So, if a device at work isn’t working, you might say, "Das Gerät ist defekt."
For items that are physically damaged, "Es ist beschädigt" is the phrase to use. Think of a book that’s been torn; you’d say, "Das Buch ist beschädigt."
When something is completely ruined, you can say, "Es ist zerstört." Like if a car is totaled in an accident, "Das Auto ist zerstört."
For a more casual way to say something’s done for, try "Es ist hinüber." So if your blender stops working, you could say, "Der Mixer ist hinüber."
A fun, colloquial way to say something is busted is "Es ist im Eimer," which literally means "It’s in the bucket." So if your toaster breaks, you’d say, "Der Toaster ist im Eimer."
Lastly, if you’re talking about a machine or device that’s out of order, "Es ist außer Betrieb" is perfect. For instance, if the elevator is out of service, you’d say, "Der Aufzug ist außer Betrieb."
Now you're equipped with several ways to describe broken things in German, making your conversations more natural and precise!