brüchige

Brüchige is the inflected form of the German adjective brüchig, meaning fragile, brittle, or easily broken. The base brüchig describes objects or materials that lack structural integrity or have already sustained damage. The form brüchige appears in various grammatical contexts, most commonly as the feminine singular nominative or accusative form (eine brüchige Kante) and in plural forms with appropriate endings (brüchige Materialien, die brüchigen Kanten). The exact ending depends on the gender, number, and the presence of a determiner.

Usage: In everyday language, brüchig is used for objects that are worn, cracked, or poorly constructed, for example brüchige Bretter or eine brüchige Brücke. It can also describe non-physical things that are unstable or unreliable, such as brüchige Vertrauensverhältnisse or brüchige Pläne. In contrast, spröde tends to describe intrinsic brittleness or stiffness in materials (glass, ceramics) rather than a damage state.

Etymology and nuance: The word derives from Bruch meaning break; brüchig expresses a tendency to break or crumble, often indicating vulnerability due to age, wear, or poor construction. In technical contexts, terms like Bruchfestigkeit (fracture strength) or Bruchgefahr (risk of fracture) are used to discuss a material’s resistance to fracture; brüchig descriptions are commonly noted as warnings in engineering or construction descriptions.

In sum, brüchige functions as an inflected adjective used to describe fragility or fragility-related conditions in both physical objects and metaphorical contexts. Related terms include spröde (intrinsic brittleness) and Bruchfestigkeit (fracture strength).