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mürbe

crumbly, tender (food); worn out, soft (material or person)

adjective MUER-be Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Quality

Also means

brittle, frail

Usage Note

mürbe primarily describes pastry or bread that crumbles pleasantly, or old wood that has softened. Figuratively jemanden mürbe machen means to wear someone down until they give in — a common idiom.

Examples

"Der Mürbeteig war perfekt: goldbraun und mürbe."

Natural Translation

The shortcrust pastry was perfect: golden brown and crumbly.

Literal Translation

The crumbly-dough was perfect: golden-brown and crumbly.

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