to cut up / tear apart
Loading your saved state.
to cut up
To cut or tear something, especially a body or object, into several parts or pieces, often in a rough or violent way.
Der Koch musste das große Stück Fleisch zerstückeln, um es in den Topf zu bekommen.
The cook had to cut up the large piece of meat to get it into the pot.
The prefix 'zer-' is inseparable and often expresses destruction or falling apart into pieces. It remains firmly attached to the verb in all sentence forms and is not stressed.
Der Sturm hat den großen Baum im Garten regelrecht zerstückelt.
The storm practically tore the large tree in the garden to pieces.
The verb is derived from the noun 'das Stück' (piece). 'Zerstückeln' (to cut up / tear apart) therefore literally means to break something into pieces, usually in a rough or violent way.
Für das Gulasch muss man das Fleisch zuerst zerstückeln.
For the goulash, you first have to cut up the meat.
You can tell whether the literal or figurative meaning is intended from the object. If it is a physical object, such as meat or wood, the meaning is literal. If it is something abstract, such as a text or idea, the meaning is figurative.
Der Metzger zerstückelt das Tier fachgerecht.
The butcher cuts up the animal professionally.
In the figurative meaning, 'zerstückeln' (to tear apart) is often used for intellectual or creative works. Typical combinations are: 'einen Roman zerstückeln' (to tear apart a novel), 'eine Rede zerstückeln' (to tear apart a speech), or 'einen Film zerstückeln' (to tear apart a film).
In der Diskussion wurde sein Vorschlag von allen Seiten zerstückelt.
In the discussion, his proposal was torn apart from all sides.
to dismantle / analyze
'zerlegen' and 'zerstückeln' both mean that something is divided into parts. 'zerlegen' usually sounds orderly and purposeful: you take something apart so that you can understand, repair, or process the parts further. 'zerstückeln' sounds stronger, rougher, or more violent. It is more about cutting or tearing something into pieces. With texts or plans, too, 'zerstückeln' can mean that the overall connection is lost. Learners may confuse the words because both describe dividing something up. If the parts are organized in a meaningful way, 'zerlegen' fits better; if it feels rough and destructive, 'zerstückeln' fits better.
Der Plan wurde durch zu viele Änderungen völlig zerstückelt.
The plan was completely broken up by too many changes.
Im Kurs zerlegen wir den Text in einzelne Abschnitte.
In the course, we break the text down into individual sections.