Zerstörung
feminine
The English word destruction translates to German as Zerstörung. Wiktionary also lists Vernichtung.
Meaning: act of destroying (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Zerstörung | feminine | |
| Vernichtung | /ˌfɛɐ̯ˈnɪçtʊŋ/ | feminine |
Zerstörung is a standard and general term for destruction, often used to describe the physical breaking or ruin of objects, structures or environments.
Which one should you use?
While Zerstörung is the general term for destruction, Vernichtung implies a more absolute, total or systematic destruction, such as the annihilation of an enemy or the complete wiping out of something. Additionally, Verwüstung refers to devastation and ravaging.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun Zerstörung is feminine and takes the article die in the nominative case.
Did you know?
- The word Vernichtung comes from the root Nichts, meaning 'nothing'. To annihilate something in German is literally to reduce it to nothing.
- German has a specific word Zerstörungswut to describe a 'destructive rage' or the uncontrollable urge to break things.
- In German, the word Vernichtung carries a much heavier historical weight than 'destruction' because of its use in the term Vernichtungskrieg, the 'war of annihilation' during World War II.
Examples in context
- Die Welt steht am Rande der Zerstörung.The world is on the edge of destruction.Tatoeba #7793795 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #7793684 by AlanF_US
- Der Krieg brachte Tod und Zerstörung über die Stadt.The war brought about death and destruction in the city.Tatoeba #3274768 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #273297 by patgfisher
- Die Zerstörung Karthagos war ein äußerst niederträchtiger Akt.The destruction of Carthage was an extremely vile act.Tatoeba #5045801 by al_ex_an_der, translation #10598745 by Objectivesea
- große ZerstörungGreat destruction
- Die Zerstörung der historischen Stadt war herzzerreißend.The destruction of the historic city was heart-wrenching.
- Ich habe mein Handy kaputt gemacht, als ich es fallen ließ.I destroyed my phone when I dropped it.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Sarah are looking at news footage of a natural disaster.
- JulianDie Zerstörung durch den Sturm ist enorm.The destruction caused by the storm is enormous.
- SarahJa, das sieht wirklich schrecklich aus.Yes, that looks really terrible.
- JulianDie Menschen müssen jetzt vieles neu aufbauen.The people have to rebuild many things now.
- SarahDas wird leider sehr viel Zeit kosten.Unfortunately, that will take a lot of time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “destruction” translations and entries Zerstörung, Vernichtung, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
