gebeugt

Gebeugt is a German word functioning as both a past participle and an adjective, formed from the verb beugen (to bend). As a past participle, gebeugt appears in perfect tenses with the auxiliary haben, for example: Ich habe mich gebeugt (I have bowed / I have bent myself). It can be used with reflexive constructions: Er hat sich gebeugt.

As an adjective, gebeugt describes a bent or bowed state or posture, often relating to a person or their body. Common phrases include eine gebeugte Haltung (a bent posture), ein gebeugter Rücken (a bent back), or eine gebeugte Silhouette. In attributive position the adjective takes endings according to gender, case, and number (der gebeugte Mann, die gebeugte Frau, das gebeugte Gesicht). In predicative positions with sein, bleiben, werden, the participle agrees like a regular participle: Der Rücken ist gebeugt.

Gebeugt is distinguished from gebogen, which is the past participle of biegen (to bend) and generally refers to inanimate objects or shapes that are curved, such as ein gebogenes Rohr (a bent pipe) or eine gebogene Linie. Gebeugt emphasizes an action or posture by someone or something bending, whereas gebogen describes the result of a bend in a physical form.

Pronunciation approximates to German phonology, with beugen producing the stem beug- and the participle ending -t: gebeugt [ɡəˈbɔɪkt] in standard speech.

See also: beugen, gebogen, German grammar on participles and adjective endings.