schädigst

Schädigst is the second-person singular present indicative form of the German verb schädigen. It means “you harm” or “you damage” and is used when addressing someone directly. The verb schädigen means to cause damage or harm to something, whether physically, materially, or in an abstract sense such as health or reputation.

Conjugation: ich schädige, du schädigst, er schädigt, wir schädigen, ihr schädigt, sie schädigen. The stem is schädig-, and the present forms retain the umlaut vowel ä in the first- and second-person forms. The participle is geschädigt and the noun form Schaden exists.

Usage: Schädigst appears mainly in admonitory or formal contexts, and in writing to indicate ongoing harm by the subject toward an object. For example: “Du schädigst den Boden, wenn du ihn unsachgemäß behandelst.” In everyday speech speakers might choose synonyms such as beschädigen or schaden, depending on nuance.

Etymology: Schädigen derives from Schaden “harm” with the verb-forming suffix -igen. The noun Schaden itself comes from older Germanic roots for harm and damage. See also: Schaden, beschädigen, Schädigung.