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kaputt

broken, bust; exhausted

adjective ka-PUT Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Conditions

Origin: from French capot (defeated in cards)

Usage Note

Kaputt is the everyday colloquial word for broken or no longer working — das Gerät ist kaputt. It also means exhausted (ich bin total kaputt). Used almost exclusively predicatively; extremely common across all registers.

Examples

"Das Fahrrad war kaputt, also musste er zu Fuß zur Schule gehen."

Natural Translation

The bicycle was broken so he had to walk to school.

Literal Translation

The bicycle was broken, so he had to go on foot to school.

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