zerbreche

Zerbreche is the first-person singular present indicative form of the German verb zerbrechen, meaning to break or to shatter. It is typically used with a direct object, as in Ich zerbreche das Glas.

The verb zerbrechen is formed with the prefix zer- added to brechen, conveying fragmentation into pieces. It is an irregular strong verb; present tense forms are ich zerbreche, du zerbrichst, er zerbricht, wir zerbrechen, ihr zerbrecht, sie zerbrechen.

Past participle: zerbrochen; simple past forms include ich zerbrach, du zerbrachst, er zerbrach, wir zerbrachen, ihr zerbracht, sie zerbrachen. The verb can also appear in compound tenses with gewesen, as in etwas ist zerbrochen.

Usage and nuance: Zerbrechen can describe the physical breaking of objects as well as figurative breakage, such as trust or hopes. Common constructions include etwas zerbrechen (to break something) and das Vertrauen kann zerbrechen (trust can be broken). The phrase in tausend Stücke zerbrechen is a common idiom meaning to break into many pieces.

In translation, zerbrechen corresponds to break, shatter, or crack in different contexts, depending on whether the reference is literal or metaphorical. While zerbreche itself is a verb form, it is not used as a standalone noun or acronym in standard German.