die Panne
Translation
breakdown, puncture, glitch, mishap
Examples
Wir hatten eine Panne auf der Autobahn.
We had a breakdown on the motorway.
Es gab eine technische Panne bei der Show.
There was a technical glitch during the show.
Das war eine peinliche Panne vom Moderator.
That was an embarrassing blunder by the host.
Grammar Patterns
to have a breakdown eine Panne haben We had a breakdown on the motorway.
a technical glitch eine technische Panne There was a technical glitch during the show.
Similar Words
Synonyms: Störung (breakdown), Defekt (defect), Fehler (error); Antonyms: Erfolg (success), Gelingen (success)
Etymology
From French 'panne', meaning 'failure to function', originally a weaver's term for a broken thread.
Memory Tips
Imagine your car is 'panned' out flat on the highway with a puncture. The word sounds a bit like 'pain', which a breakdown certainly is.