kaputtgegangen

Kaputtgegangen is the past participle form of the German verb kaputtgehen, meaning to go broken or to break down. It describes something that has ceased to function or has been damaged. The expression is used for machines, devices, and other tangible objects, but can also be used metaphorically for plans, schemes, or relationships that have collapsed.

Formation and grammar: kaputtgehen is a separable verb. In present tense you would say, for example, "Der Fernseher geht kaputt." In the perfect (or pluperfect) tense, with the auxiliary sein, you say "Der Fernseher ist kaputtgegangen." The past participle is kaputtgegangen, and it is used with sein to indicate a change of state.

Etymology and meaning: The adjective kaputt means broken or ruined. The exact origin of kaputt is uncertain, but the word has been established in German for centuries. The verb kaputtgehen is a compound formed from kaputt and gehen (to go), encoding the idea that something goes into a broken state.

Usage notes: Kaputtgegangen tends to be informal or colloquial and is common in everyday speech. For formal contexts or technical descriptions, speakers may prefer alternatives such as defekt (defective) or das Gerät ist defekt, or to describe a failed plan as gescheitert. Kaputtgegangen can also be used figuratively to describe a situation that has fallen apart. Example sentences: "Mein Laptop ist kaputtgegangen." "Die Verhandlungen sind kaputtgegangen."