radebrechen

to speak brokenly

verb RAH-de-bre-khen Less Common

Origin: originally 'to break on the wheel'

Also means

to mangle a language

Usage Note

radebrechen means to speak a foreign language haltingly and incorrectly: gebrochenes Englisch radebrechen. It is inseparable and somewhat literary. The vivid etymology (breaking on the wheel) lends a sense of language being painfully mangled.

Examples

"Er radebrechte ein paar Worte Italienisch."

Natural Translation

He spoke a few broken words of Italian.

Literal Translation

He broke-on-the-wheel a few words Italian.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Modal Particles: doch, mal, ja, eben

German modal particles doch, mal, ja, and eben add attitude, not meaning. Before/after examples show how to use each one so your German stops sounding stiff.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Weil vs Denn vs Da: "Because" in German

Weil and da send the verb to the end; denn keeps it in second position. Here's how to pick the right German "because" and place the verb correctly.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German False Friends: 25 Words That Trick You

German false friends like Gift (poison) and bekommen (to receive) trick English speakers daily. Here are 25 words that mean the opposite of what you'd guess.

June 5, 2026 5 min read