to rot / laze around
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to rot
The process in which organic material such as food or plants is broken down by bacteria or fungi and spoils.
Der Apfel liegt schon so lange hier, dass er anfängt zu faulen.
The apple has been lying here so long that it is starting to rot.
The verb 'faulen' (to rot / to laze around) is derived directly from the adjective 'faul' (rotten/lazy). The adjective also has two meanings: spoiled or rotten ('ein fauler Apfel' — a rotten apple) and lazy ('ein fauler Schüler' — a lazy student). This double meaning is also found in the verb.
Das Holz der alten Brücke ist über die Jahre gefault.
The wood of the old bridge has rotted over the years.
The auxiliary verb in the perfect tense depends on the meaning. For the process of decay (spoiling), 'sein' (to be) is used because it describes a change of state. For resting (being lazy), 'haben' (to have) is used.
Das Obst in der Schale ist schnell gefault.
The fruit in the bowl rotted quickly.
You can recognize the meaning from the subject of the sentence. If the subject is a person, 'faulen' colloquially means 'sich ausruhen' (to rest). If the subject is organic material such as fruit, vegetables, or wood, it means 'verderben' (to spoil/rot).
Nach der anstrengenden Woche will ich am Samstag nur faulen.
After the exhausting week, I just want to laze around on Saturday.
In the meaning 'nichts tun' (to do nothing) or 'sich ausruhen' (to rest), 'faulen' is very colloquial. It is used mainly in informal conversations with friends or family.
Was hast du am Wochenende gemacht? – Nicht viel, ich habe nur gefault.
What did you do at the weekend? – Not much, I just lazed around.
to work
'arbeiten' and 'faulen' can be used as opposites in everyday language. 'arbeiten' means that you are doing something and working on a task. 'faulen' is colloquial and means that you are doing nothing or resting, often with a slightly critical tone. Important: 'faulen' can also mean that food is rotting. In this contrast, however, it is only about the colloquial meaning.
Am Sonntag hat Lena nur auf dem Sofa gefault.
On Sunday, Lena just lazed around on the sofa.
Nach dem Frühstück arbeitet Tom weiter an seinem Bericht.
After breakfast, Tom keeps working on his report.