ungerne, unweit, ungefährlich

[Vlot Vlaams]

The "Un-" Prefix in German

Many adjectives and adverbs can be negated using the "un-" prefix.

• gerne => ungerne
• weit => unweit
• Gefahr, gefährlich => ungefährlich
• möglich => unmöglich
• bekannt => unbekannt
• geschickt => ungeschickt

Although antonyms exist for these words, they are not always perfectly interchangeable, especially in certain phrases.

• unweit => nah, in der Nähe
• unsinnig => absurd
• ungefährlich => harmlos
• ungerne => widerwillig

The "un-" word often seems to accentuate the negation. It is common to add an intensifier: ganz unweit, total unsinnig, nicht ganz ungefährlich, absolut ungerne.

For example, if you tell a tourist, "Die Kirche liegt unweit vom Parkplatz," you are anticipating the question, "Ist es dann noch weit vom Parkplatz zu Fuß?" If the question is still asked, you would clarify: "Nein, ganz im Gegenteil, sie liegt ganz nah dran."

In linguistics, a prefix is considered productive if it can be (and regularly is) freely attached to new words to create new meanings, and all native speakers would understand it spontaneously. One could even form a new word like unlustig or unpassend, and it would be understood without any problem.

[MoniqueMaRie]

In linguistics, a prefix is considered productive if it can be (and regularly is) freely attached to new words to create new meanings, and all native speakers would understand it spontaneously. One could even form a new word like unlustig or unpassend, and it would be understood without any problem.

"Unlustig" and "unpassend" aren't new words. They are commonly used.

When I read "un-" word in your text, I immediately thought of the word "Unwort".

[rudi]

"Unpassend" is a very common word. "Unweit" is not much used in spoken language, it is more a kind of elevated language. You would more often say "in der Nähe" oder "nah". "Unlustig" is not used very much. You would more say "Das ist nicht lustig."
Fun fact: There is website called nichtlustig.de (which is in fact quite funny) by a German Cartoonist (now redirecting to his hompage), where you can look at some of his comics. Maybe something for our learners of German!

[Vlot Vlaams]

"Unweit" is not much used in spoken language, it is more a kind of elevated language. You would more often say "in der Nähe" oder "nah".

I hear "unweit" in documentaries, like when they describe walking to the next place-to-be in the city visited.

[rudi]

"Unweit" is not much used in spoken language, it is more a kind of elevated language. You would more often say "in der Nähe" oder "nah".

I hear "unweit" in documentaries, like when they describe walking to the next place-to-be in the city visited.

Yes. Interesting observation. In documentaries they use the elevated speech. But why? Maybe because they are reading prepared text from papers? Not much people would talk that way. Except some politicians, maybe

[Vlot Vlaams]

"Unweit" is not much used in spoken language, it is more a kind of elevated language. You would more often say "in der Nähe" oder "nah".

I hear "unweit" in documentaries, like when they describe walking to the next place-to-be in the city visited.

Yes. Interesting observation. In documentaries they use the elevated speech. But why? Maybe because they are reading prepared text from papers? Not much people would talk that way. Except some politicians, maybe

I mean, it's the documentary narrator who speaks this way - not the man walking and describing where he/she goes next,
and I think it's just nice, and does not sound "elevated" to me - just nice well-spoken German.

[rudi]

I mean, it's the documentary narrator who speaks this way - not the man walking and describing where he/she goes next,
and I think it's just nice, and does not sound "elevated" to me - just nice well-spoken German.

Yes of course I mean the narrator, too. Usually they read the text from prepared papers when recording it, according to the pictures.
And if you listen carefully, you hear, that it is another way of speaking than normal day-by-day speaking. Even the tone. It is a way like somebody speaks when giving a presentation, or another way of formal speaking. That's why I mentioned politicians

[Chrisinom]

"Unpassend" is a very common word. "Unweit" is not much used in spoken language, it is more a kind of elevated language. You would more often say "in der Nähe" oder "nah". "Unlustig" is not used very much. You would more say "Das ist nicht lustig."
Fun fact: There is website called nichtlustig.de (which is in fact quite funny) by a German Cartoonist (now redirecting to his hompage), where you can look at some of his comics. Maybe something for our learners of German!

For me," unlustig" is not really the opposite of "lustig", although I found it in some dictionaries. "Unlustig" is a synonym of "lustlos" and means reluctant, unenthusiastic. In this sense, it is not derived from "lustig" (as it's opposite), but from the noun "Unlust", which is the opposite of "Lust", in the sense of desire, delight. See the definition in the "Duden" dictionary:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/unlustig

[rudi]

Very interesting, because I've always heard it in the sense of the opposite of "lustig". But you are right, the Duden says it different. Interesting! So thank you very much. It is always good to expand one's own horizon!

[Vlot Vlaams]

Gerade gehört in einem Krimi: ‚Der untote Mann wurde später in … gesichtet.‘
Es ging um eine Leiche, die verprügelt und offenbar zum Sterben zurückgelassen worden war.

one could have said:

„Der scheinbar tote Mann wurde später noch lebend gesichtet in …“
„Der für tot gehaltene Mann wurde später in … gesichtet.“
„Der totgeglaubte Mann tauchte später in … wieder auf.“

But using "untote" adds another "nuance" to it.

[Vlot Vlaams]

Was versteht man unter einem Unwort?

Wort oder Wendung aus dem öffentlichen Sprachgebrauch, das bzw. die aufgrund sprachkritischer Überlegungen (→ Sprachkritik) unter ästhetisch-formalen und/oder ethisch-moralischen Gesichtspunkten als verwerflich eingestuft wird.

Was war das Unwort des Jahres 1998?

Das Unwort des Jahres 1998 war „Sozialverträgliches Frühableben“. Anlässlich der damaligen Gesundheitsreform im ersten Kabinett Schröder führten Einsparungen zu Leistungs- und Qualitätskürzungen im Gesundheitswesen.

Welches Wort war 2004 Unwort des Jahres?

Zum „Unwort des Jahres 2004“ hat eine Jury aus Sprachwissenschaftlern das „Humankapital“ bestimmt: Es degradiere Menschen „zu nur noch ökonomisch interessanten Größen“, so die Begründung.

Was war das Unwort des Jahres 2007?

Herdprämie: Das Wort diffamiert Eltern, insbesondere Frauen, die ihre Kinder zu Hause erziehen, anstatt einen Krippenplatz in Anspruch zu nehmen. Zum Unwort des Jahres 2007 ist der Begiff «Herdprämie» gewählt worden.

usw.

https://www.unwortdesjahres.net/unwort/ ... seit-1991/

[Chrisinom]

Gerade gehört in einem Krimi: ‚Der untote Mann wurde später in … gesichtet.‘
Es ging um eine Leiche, die verprügelt und offenbar zum Sterben zurückgelassen worden war.

one could have said:

„Der scheinbar tote Mann wurde später noch lebend gesichtet in …“
„Der für tot gehaltene Mann wurde später in … gesichtet.“
„Der totgeglaubte Mann tauchte später in … wieder auf.“

But using "untote" adds another "nuance" to it.

"Untot" has a pretty precise meaning, especially as a noun. Ein "Untoter" is a vampire or zombie, i.e. someone who is not completely dead. Maybe the word was used ironically in that crime story.

[Vlot Vlaams]

Gerade gehört in einem Krimi: ‚Der untote Mann wurde später in … gesichtet.‘
Es ging um eine Leiche, die verprügelt und offenbar zum Sterben zurückgelassen worden war.

one could have said:

„Der scheinbar tote Mann wurde später noch lebend gesichtet in …“
„Der für tot gehaltene Mann wurde später in … gesichtet.“
„Der totgeglaubte Mann tauchte später in … wieder auf.“

But using "untote" adds another "nuance" to it.

"Untot" has a pretty precise meaning, especially as a noun. Ein "Untoter" is a vampire or zombie, i.e. someone who is not completely dead. Maybe the word was used ironically in that crime story.

For sure it was ironic - it's from a supposed-to-be-funny (and at times it has funny twists indeed) series "Hubert ohne Staller" (a variant from the more serious Hubert und Staller")