wear
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wear
The gradual deterioration or wearing down of an object through regular use. Material is slowly worn away or damaged in the process.
Die Bremsbeläge am Fahrrad zeigten deutliche Spuren von Abnutzung.
The brake pads on the bicycle showed clear signs of wear.
The noun 'die Abnutzung' (wear) is derived directly from the separable verb 'abnutzen' (to wear down). This verb is made up of 'ab-' (which indicates a process of taking away or reducing) and 'nutzen' (to use). So it describes the result when something is used for a long time.
Durch die ständige Reibung nutzt sich das Material schnell ab.
Because of the constant friction, the material wears down quickly.
In connection with material wear, 'Abnutzung' (wear) is often combined with adjectives such as 'stark' (heavy), 'gering' (slight), or 'normal' (normal). A common phrase is also 'Spuren von Abnutzung zeigen' (to show signs of wear).
Die Reifen zeigen bereits eine starke Abnutzung.
The tires already show heavy wear.
To name the cause of the wear, the preposition 'durch' (through/by) followed by a noun in the accusative is used very often. This construction explains what caused the wear.
Die Abnutzung der Gelenke entsteht oft durch jahrelange Belastung.
Wear in the joints often develops through years of strain.
You can tell from the context whether the material or figurative meaning is intended. If 'Abnutzung' (wear) refers to physical objects such as car parts or clothing, it is about wear and tear. If it refers to abstract things such as words, jokes, or ideas, it is about the loss of impact.
Die ständige Wiederholung des Werbespots führte zu seiner schnellen Abnutzung.
The constant repetition of the commercial led to it quickly becoming worn out.
consumption
'der Verbrauch' and 'die Abnutzung' can be confused because both arise through use. 'der Verbrauch' means that a resource is used and becomes less, for example water, gasoline, or electricity. 'die Abnutzung' means that an object becomes worse through use, for example a bicycle, a shoe, or a tool. So you consume energy or material that gets used up. An object shows wear when it is damaged or becomes older through use.
Paul sieht an den alten Werkzeugen die starke Abnutzung.
Paul can see the heavy wear on the old tools.
Der Verbrauch von Strom ist bei diesem Gerät sehr niedrig.
This device's electricity consumption is very low.