seltsam
strange
Odd, peculiar, or unusual, in a way that causes surprise or slight unease.
EXAMPLE
Es herrschte eine seltsame Stille im Raum, nachdem er gegangen war.
There was a strange silence in the room after he had left.
seltsam
strange
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The word 'seltsam' (strange) is related to 'selten' (rare). The logic behind this is that something that occurs rarely is often perceived as odd or unusual.
EXAMPLE
Er hat einen sehr seltsamen Humor.
He has a very strange sense of humor.
Typical collocations
'Seltsam' (strange) often describes subjective perceptions or impressions. Common combinations are 'ein seltsames Gefühl' (a strange feeling), 'ein seltsamer Geruch' (a strange smell), 'ein seltsames Geräusch' (a strange noise), or 'sich seltsam verhalten' (to behave strangely).
EXAMPLE
Seit dem Vorfall verhält er sich sehr seltsam.
Since the incident, he has been behaving very strangely.
Sentence structure with 'dass'
'Seltsam' (strange) is often used in sentences with 'es' as a placeholder and a following subordinate clause with 'dass' (that). A typical structure is 'Ich finde es seltsam, dass ...' (I find it strange that ...).
EXAMPLE
Es ist seltsam, dass sie sich nicht gemeldet hat.
It is strange that she hasn't gotten in touch.
Compare with
seltsam vs eigen
own / peculiar
Eigen and seltsam can both describe unusual behavior. Eigen suggests a distinctive manner that belongs to the person, while seltsam generally evaluates the behavior as odd or surprising. Use eigen for a typical personal peculiarity, and usually seltsam for a conspicuous deviation.
seltsam
Dass er heute gar nicht antwortet, wirkt seltsam, weil das sonst nicht zu ihm passt.
The fact that he is not answering at all today seems strange because that is not like him.
eigen
Dass er vor jeder Antwort lächelt, wirkt eigen, ist aber typisch für ihn.
The fact that he smiles before every answer seems peculiar, but it is typical of him.
In real life
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