ignorant / disrespectful
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disrespectful
Consciously refusing to acknowledge or disregarding someone, something, or certain facts. This behavior is often perceived as rude or disrespectful.
Er ist völlig ignorant gegenüber den Gefühlen anderer Menschen.
He is completely disrespectful toward other people's feelings.
Being uninformed or uneducated; having no knowledge of a specific matter.
In naturwissenschaftlichen Fragen ist er leider völlig ignorant.
Unfortunately, he is completely ignorant when it comes to scientific questions.
Careful: 'ignorant' (disrespectful/ignorant) in German usually means that someone is deliberately rude and disregards others. It is not just a description for someone who does not know something, as the English word 'ignorant' is often used.
Er hat meine Frage einfach ignoriert, das war sehr ignorant von ihm.
He simply ignored my question; that was very disrespectful of him.
When you want to express whom or what a person is ignoring, the preposition 'gegenüber' (toward) with the dative is often used. This construction emphasizes active, conscious disregard.
Sie verhält sich oft ignorant gegenüber den Ratschlägen ihrer Eltern.
She often behaves disrespectfully toward her parents' advice.
The meaning 'unwissend' (ignorant/uninformed) is less common and is usually made clear by the context. If 'ignorant' (ignorant) appears in connection with a field of knowledge, e.g. 'in politischen Fragen' (in political matters), ignorance is meant. If it refers to people or their feelings, it usually means disrespect.
In Bezug auf klassische Musik bin ich leider komplett ignorant.
When it comes to classical music, I am unfortunately completely ignorant.
clueless
Both words can express a lack of knowledge about a specific circumstance. „Ahnungslos“ usually describes neutral or temporary unawareness, whereas „ignorant“ suggests a derogatory judgment about someone’s lack of knowledge or education. Use „ahnungslos“ for an objective description and „ignorant“ when the lack of knowledge is being criticized.
Der ignorante Besucher kannte die Sicherheitsregeln nicht und hielt sie trotzdem für unwichtig.
The ignorant visitor did not know the safety rules and still considered them unimportant.
Die ahnungslose Besucherin wusste nichts von der kurzfristigen Änderung des Eingangs.
The unsuspecting visitor knew nothing about the last-minute change to the entrance.
