Zepsutych

Zepsutych is the genitive plural form of the Polish adjective zepsuty, meaning damaged, spoiled, or broken. It is used to describe plural nouns in contexts that require the genitive case or, with masculine personal nouns, the accusative in the same plural form. As a declined form, zepsutych appears in phrases where the noun it modifies is in genitive plural, such as after certain verbs or prepositions.

Etymology and grammar: Zepsuty originates from the verb zepsuć, “to spoil” or “to break.” The participle form zepsuty serves as an adjective, with plural forms adapting to gender and case. In the genitive plural, for general reference to multiple damaged items or abstract losses, the form is zepsutych. This form can accompany masculine personal, non-personal, and neuter nouns that are themselves in genitive plural. Examples include zepsutych rzeczy (damaged things), zepsutych telefonów (broken phones), or zepsutych pojazdów (damaged vehicles).

Usage and nuance: Z epsutych primarily denotes physical damage or spoilage but can also be used metaphorically to describe ruined or compromised situations, plans, or reputations when the noun is expressed in genitive plural. It is common in written and spoken Polish to combine zepsutych with a following noun to form a concise noun phrase reflecting loss or impairment, as in brak zepsutych maszyn (no broken machines) or zepsutych marzeń (ruined dreams), where the context determines whether the sense is literal or figurative.

See also: zepsuty, zepsuć.