unbedingt
definitely
Expresses that something should or must happen in any case or under all circumstances; absolutely, necessarily.
EXAMPLE
Diesen Film musst du dir unbedingt ansehen!
You definitely have to watch this film!
unbedingt
definitely / unconditional
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
unbedingt
unconditional
Without conditions or restrictions; absolute and unrestricted.
EXAMPLE
Der Diktator verlangte unbedingten Gehorsam von seinen Untertanen.
The dictator demanded unconditional obedience from his subjects.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is made up of 'un-' (a negation) and 'bedingt' (conditional). 'Bedingt' comes from 'die Bedingung' (condition). So 'unbedingt' literally means 'without condition', which explains the two main meanings.
EXAMPLE
Er schenkte ihr sein unbedingtes Vertrauen.
He gave her his unconditional trust.
Sentence structure as an adverb
As an adverb meaning 'auf jeden Fall' (in any case / definitely), 'unbedingt' usually appears in the middle of the sentence. It is very often combined with modal verbs like 'müssen' (must) or 'sollen' (should) to express an urgent recommendation or necessity.
EXAMPLE
Du musst dir diesen Film unbedingt ansehen!
You definitely have to watch this film!
Use as an adjective
When 'unbedingt' appears before a noun and is declined like an adjective, it means 'unrestricted' or 'absolute'. Typical combinations are 'unbedingter Gehorsam' (unconditional obedience), 'unbedingtes Vertrauen' (unconditional trust), or 'ein unbedingter Wille' (an absolute will).
EXAMPLE
Für diesen Job braucht man den unbedingten Willen zum Erfolg.
For this job, you need the absolute will to succeed.
Compare with
unbedingt vs durchaus
definitely / quite
Unbedingt and durchaus can both add strong emphasis to a statement. Unbedingt usually emphasizes that something should or must happen in any case; durchaus, by contrast, confirms that something is possible or right.
unbedingt
Du solltest diese neue Methode unbedingt ausprobieren.
You should definitely try this new method.
durchaus
Du kannst diese neue Methode durchaus ausprobieren.
You can certainly try this new method.
In real life
Loading video examples...