kapot

Kapot is a Dutch adjective meaning broken, damaged, or destroyed. It is used to describe objects that no longer function properly or have sustained damage, such as machinery, vehicles, electronics, or other hardware. In everyday speech, one might say, for example, "De motor is kapot" (The engine is broken) or "Mijn telefoon is kapot" (My phone is broken). The word can also convey that something has been ruined or rendered unusable.

In terms of grammar, kapot is typically used predicatively. When it appears before a noun in attributive position, the form changes to kapotte (e.g., "de kapotte auto" or "een kapotte telefoon"). The verb-related forms kapotmaken (to damage or ruin) and kapotgaan (to break down or be destroyed) are common compounds.

Etymology and related languages: Kapot is of Dutch origin and is widely used in the Netherlands and in Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium (Flanders). It is cognate with similar West Germanic terms in neighboring languages and shares semantic similarity with the German kaputt, though the exact historical development differs between languages.

See also: kaputt (German), kaput (informal English use for “broken”).

Notes on usage: Kapot tends to describe physical objects rather than abstract concepts, and it is more common in spoken Dutch than in formal registers. In some contexts, softer alternatives like beschadigd (damaged) or defective may be preferred depending on nuance.