brüchiges

Brüchiges is a German adjective form derived from brüchig and is used to describe objects or concepts that are fragile, easily broken, or structurally weak. It is most commonly seen before neuter nouns in singular form, where the strong declension yields the ending -es, as in brüchiges Glas. The same concept can be expressed with other gender and definiteness variations, such as ein brüchiges Glas (indefinite) or das brüchige Glas (definite).

Grammatically, brüchiges is the neuter singular nominative or accusative form of brüchig when no article or a strong declension is present. Other inflected forms include brüchige for feminine or plural nouns in many contexts, and brüchiges can also appear in other cases with appropriate endings. The word functions as an attributive adjective; it does not become a noun by itself in standard usage, though in poetic or specialized contexts one might encounter nominalized forms.

Usage and nuance: brüchiges is commonly used in material descriptions—such as brüchiges Glas, brüchiges Holz, or brüchiges Gerüst—to signal fragility or a tendency to fracture. Figuratively, it can describe arguments, plans, or institutions that are unstable or unreliable, as in eine brüchige Struktur or brüchige Behauptungen. It sits between synonyms like spröde (brittle to touch, often external) and zerbrechlich (fragile in a more general sense).

Etymology: brüchig derives from the German root related to breaking (Bruch) and shares a lineage with words describing fracture or fragility in Germanic languages.

See also: brüchig, spröde, zerbrechlich, fragil.