Zerlegte

Zerlegte is the simple past tense form of the German verb zerlegen. It denotes a completed action of taking something apart, dismantling, or deconstructing. In usage, zerlegte can refer to physical objects as well as to abstract analyses. The verb zerlegen has the infinitive zerlegen, the past participle zerlegt, and forms like ich zerlegte or er zerlegte in the simple past.

Etymology and related forms: Zerlegen combines the prefix zer- with legen (to lay), where zer- conveys separation or destruction. The noun form related to this concept is Zerlegung, meaning decomposition, dismantling, or analysis. An adjective form is zerlegbar, meaning disassemblable or capable of being taken apart.

Usage notes: Zerlegte is common in narrative past or descriptive recounting. It can describe mechanical work, such as dismantling a motor, a machine, or a piece of furniture, as well as analytic tasks, such as breaking a theory or text into its components. Examples: Er zerlegte den Motor in seine Einzelteile. Die Forscher zerlegten das System in einzelne Bausteine.

See also: Zerlegung (decomposition, dismantling), zerlegt (past participle used as an adjective, e.g., ein zerlegter Tisch), zerlegbar (disassemblable), and aus- oder auseinandernehmen as related verbs for taking apart or analyzing.

This entry treats zerlegte primarily as a grammatical form and linguistic concept, with brief notes on meaning, derivation, and typical contexts of use in German.