zerschlug
Translation
smashed, shattered, defeated
Examples
Er zerschlug das Fenster mit einem Stein.
He smashed the window with a stone.
Die Welle zerschlug das kleine Boot.
The wave smashed the small boat.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) smashed sth. He smashed the window.
Similar Words
zerbrach (past of zerbrechen), zerstörte (past of zerstören)
Etymology
Simple past (Präteritum) of zerschlagen. It follows the strong verb pattern of schlagen (schlug, geschlagen).
Memory Tips
If you know the past tense of 'schlagen' is 'schlug', just add the 'zer-' prefix. It works the same way.