to tear apart / rip apart
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to tear apart
To violently divide something into pieces by pulling hard. This often happens with materials such as paper, fabric, or photos.
Aus Wut zerriss er den Brief, ohne ihn zu Ende zu lesen.
Out of anger, he tore the letter apart without reading it to the end.
to tear apart
To criticize someone or something extremely harshly and devastatingly.
Die Kritiker haben den neuen Film in der Presse förmlich zerrissen.
The critics absolutely tore the new film apart in the press.
to feel torn
In a figurative sense, to be heavily burdened by inner conflicts, doubts, or contradictory feelings and to feel internally divided.
Sie fühlte sich zerrissen zwischen dem Wunsch, zu reisen, und der Verantwortung für ihre Familie.
She felt torn between the desire to travel and the responsibility for her family.
to stretch oneself thin
To overexert or sacrifice oneself, often in order to meet others' expectations or handle many tasks at the same time.
Als berufstätige Mutter muss sie sich oft zerreißen, um alles unter einen Hut zu bekommen.
As a working mother, she often has to stretch herself thin to keep everything under control.
The verb consists of the prefix 'zer-' and the verb 'reißen' (to tear). The prefix 'zer-' means 'broken' or 'into pieces', so 'zerreißen' (to tear apart) describes destruction by tearing.
Er hat das alte T-Shirt beim Sport zerrissen.
He tore the old T-shirt during sports.
'Zerreißen' (to tear apart) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'zer-' remains firmly attached to the verb in all tenses and sentence constructions.
Sie zerreißt den Werbeprospekt und wirft ihn weg.
She tears up the advertising brochure and throws it away.
In the literal meaning, 'zerreißen' (to tear apart) is usually used with flat, thin materials. Typical objects are 'Papier' (paper), 'ein Brief' (a letter), 'ein Foto' (a photo), or 'Stoff' (fabric).
Das Kind hat aus Versehen das Buch zerrissen.
The child accidentally tore the book.
In this figurative meaning, the subjects are often 'Kritiker' (critics) or 'die Presse' (the press). The objects are usually artistic works such as 'ein Film' (a film), 'ein Buch' (a book), or also public figures.
Die Presse hat den neuen Roman des Autors zerrissen.
The press tore the author's new novel apart.
In the meaning 'innerlich gespalten' (internally divided), the past participle 'zerrissen' (torn) is often used like an adjective. It then frequently appears with the verbs 'sein' (to be) or 'sich fühlen' (to feel) and the preposition 'zwischen' (between).
Er ist innerlich zerrissen zwischen seiner Pflicht und seinen Wünschen.
He is internally torn between his duty and his wishes.
In the meaning 'sich aufopfern' (to sacrifice oneself), the verb is always used reflexively. The reflexive pronoun ('sich') is therefore a fixed part of the construction.
Sie zerreißt sich für ihre Kinder, damit es ihnen an nichts fehlt.
She sacrifices herself for her children so that they lack nothing.
to shred / tear to pieces
Both verbs describe violently dividing something by tearing it. Zerreißen is the more general term, while zerfetzen emphasizes greater force and many small shreds. Use zerreißen for a simple division into pieces, and zerfetzen when the destruction is more severe.
Sie zerreißt das alte Tuch mit einem kräftigen Zug in zwei Teile.
With one forceful pull, she tears the old cloth into two pieces.
Wütend zerfetzt sie das alte Tuch in viele kleine Stücke.
Furiously, she tears the old cloth into many small pieces.
