to dismantle / analyze
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to dismantle
To take an object or machine apart into its individual components.
Der Uhrmacher musste das gesamte Uhrwerk zerlegen, um es zu reinigen.
The watchmaker had to dismantle the entire clockwork mechanism in order to clean it.
to butcher
To professionally cut a slaughtered animal or large piece of meat into smaller parts.
Der Metzger zerlegte die Schweinehälfte in Koteletts, Schinken und Bauchfleisch.
The butcher cut up the half pig into chops, ham, and belly meat.
to analyze
To analyze something abstract, such as a problem or a text, in great detail and break it down into its individual parts.
In der Besprechung wurde unser Vorschlag Punkt für Punkt zerlegt.
In the meeting, our proposal was analyzed point by point.
The prefix 'zer-' is inseparable and often emphasizes separation into many small parts, sometimes with a destructive nuance. It indicates that something is being broken down into its components.
Der alte Schrank wurde in seine Einzelteile zerlegt.
The old cabinet was dismantled into its individual parts.
To name the parts into which something is dismantled or broken down, you use the preposition 'in' followed by the accusative. The structure is: [something] in [its parts] zerlegen.
Der Mechaniker zerlegte den Motor in seine Einzelteile.
The mechanic dismantled the engine into its individual parts.
You can recognize the figurative, analytical meaning from the fact that the object of the verb is abstract. In that case, you might analyze a problem, an argument, or a plan, not a physical object.
Lass uns das Problem zerlegen, um eine Lösung zu finden.
Let's break down the problem in order to find a solution.
to analyze
Analysieren and zerlegen can overlap when referring to a text or problem. Analysieren refers to the detailed examination as a whole, while zerlegen additionally emphasizes dividing something into individual parts or steps. Use analysieren for the examination and zerlegen when the division into parts is explicitly important.
Die Schülerin zerlegt den Text in einzelne Argumente, um seine Struktur zu zeigen.
The student breaks the text down into individual arguments to show its structure.
Die Schülerin analysiert den Text und erklärt die Beziehungen zwischen seinen Argumenten.
The student analyzes the text and explains the relationships between its arguments.
