zer-
German, prefix/tsɛɐ̯/
zer- is spelled Z-E-R (3 letters) and appears about once in every 3 million words in written German, the 81,387th most frequent German word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Zer- is a German prefix meaning “asunder, to pieces, to bits” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The German Wiktionary defines it as “unabtrennbare Vorsilbe, die eine Teilung, Trennung, Auflösung oder Zerstörung bezeichnet”.
What does zer- mean in English?
prefix
- 1
asunder, to pieces, to bits
- 2
to spoil by
Source: English Wiktionary, German section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How German dictionaries define it
prefix: 1. unabtrennbare Vorsilbe, die eine Teilung, Trennung, Auflösung oder Zerstörung bezeichnet
noun: 1. chemisches Element mit der Ordnungszahl 58, das zu den Lanthanoiden gehört
The definition in the German Wiktionary, in German.
Source: German Wiktionary, dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of zer-
- Cer alternative
- Zers genitive singular
Source: English Wiktionary and German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce zer-?
- /tsɛɐ̯/
- /tsɐ/
- [t͡sɛɐ̯]
Sources: English Wiktionary, German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
How common is zer- in German?
zer- appears about once in every 3 million words in written German.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).