Ungebrauchbar

Ungebrauchbar is a German adjective meaning not usable or unusable. It is formed with the negating prefix un- attached to gebrauchen, the verb “to use,” and is commonly used to describe objects, devices, or ideas that cannot be used as intended. The term can refer to physical damage, missing components, legal or policy restrictions, or practical infeasibility.

In usage, ungebrauchbar functions as a property of a noun. For example: ein ungebrauchbares Werkzeug (an unusable tool), Das Gerät ist ungebrauchbar geworden (the device has become unusable). It can also appear in phrases like in einem ungebrauchbaren Zustand or in ungebrauchbarem Zustand, meaning in an unusable state. In many contexts, ungebrauchbar is near synonymous with unbrauchbar, but the distinction is subtle: ungebrauchbar emphasizes the impossibility of use, while unbrauchbar often stresses lack of usefulness or practical function.

The grammatical inflection aligns with other adjectives: it can take typical adjective endings depending on determiner and case. The related noun Ungebrauchbarkeit refers to the state or quality of being unusable and is used in more formal or technical writing, for example, Die Ungebrauchbarkeit des Geräts wurde festgestellt.

See also: gebrauchen, verwendbar, unbrauchbar, Verwendbarkeit, Unverwendbarkeit. In summary, ungebrauchbar is a standard German descriptor for items or concepts that cannot be used as intended, with nuance depending on context and closely related to, yet distinct from, unbrauchbar.