faulen
/ˈfaʊ̯lən/
The German verb for 'to rot' is faulen. Wiktionary also lists verrotten and verderben.
Meaning: (intransitive) to suffer decomposition (verb)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| faulen | /ˈfaʊ̯lən/ |
| verrotten | /fɛʁˈʁɔtn̩/ |
| verderben | /fɛɐ̯ˈdɛʁbən/ |
| verfaulen | [fɛɐ̯ˈfaʊ̯lən] (narrow) |
| verwesen | /fɛɐ̯ˈveːzn̩/ |
| putreszieren | |
| sich zersetzen | /zɪç t͡sɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡sn̩/ (word by word) |
| in Fäulnis übergehen |
Which one should you use?
verrotten often implies a more complete process of decaying or rotting away than faulen. sich zersetzen is the technical or scientific term for decomposition. Other forms include verderben, verfaulen, verwesen, putreszieren and the phrase in Fäulnis übergehen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfaʊ̯lən/
Did you know?
- The German word for 'spoiled' when talking about a child, verdorben, comes from the same root as the verb for rotting food.
- The English word 'foul' and the German verb faulen share the same Proto-West Germanic ancestor, meaning they are linguistic cousins.
- While 'to rot' is the primary meaning, the verb verderben can also mean 'to perish' or 'to die', extending the concept of decay to a person's life.
Examples in context
- Dieser Apfel fängt an zu faulen.This apple is starting to rot.This sentence shows an apple starting to rot using faulen.Tatoeba #6901378 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6900113 by TingBuDong
- Wie müssen die Äpfel sofort pflücken, sonst faulen sie.We've got to pick those apples now, or they'll rot.This sentence describes the consequence of not picking apples using faulen.Tatoeba #2514582 by al_ex_an_der, translation #12280643 by AlanF_US
- Besser laufen als faulen.Better to run than to rot.This sentence uses faulen in a metaphorical or comparative sense.Tatoeba #2982058 by carlosalberto, translation #2982063 by carlosalberto
- Ein schickes Kleid in RotA fancy dress in red
- Der Ring ist rubinrotThe ring is ruby red
- Das Auto ist knallrotThe car is bright red
- Die Sonne geht feuerrot unterThe sun is setting with a fiery red color
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Julian are cleaning out the refrigerator.
- SarahJulian, schau mal in die Gemüseschublade.Julian, look in the vegetable drawer.
- JulianOh nein, die Tomaten beginnen zu faulen.Oh no, the tomatoes are starting to rot.
- SarahWir müssen sie sofort wegwerfen.We have to throw them away immediately.
- JulianDu hast recht, sie riechen schon schlecht.You are right, they already smell bad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rot” translations and entries faulen, verrotten, verderben, verfaulen, verwesen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sich, zersetzen) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries faulen, verderben, verfaulen, verrotten, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
