unclear
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unclear
Difficult to understand acoustically because someone is speaking quietly, unclearly, or mumbling.
Er murmelte eine undeutliche Entschuldigung und ging schnell weiter.
He mumbled an unclear apology and quickly walked on.
The word consists of the prefix 'un-' and the adjective 'deutlich' (clear). The prefix 'un-' negates the meaning of the base word. So 'undeutlich' means 'not clear' or 'not distinct'.
Seine Handschrift ist so undeutlich, dass ich sie kaum lesen kann.
His handwriting is so unclear that I can hardly read it.
The context tells you what kind of lack of clarity is meant. In connection with 'sprechen' (to speak) or 'Stimme' (voice), it is acoustic. With 'Schrift' (writing) or 'Foto' (photo), it is visual. With 'Antwort' (answer) or 'Idee' (idea), it is vague in content.
Er sprach so undeutlich, dass ich ihn bat, es zu wiederholen.
He spoke so unclearly that I asked him to repeat it.
When it is about acoustic lack of clarity, 'undeutlich' (unclear) is often combined with verbs of speaking, for example 'undeutlich sprechen' (to speak unclearly), 'undeutlich murmeln' (to mumble unclearly), or 'undeutlich nuscheln' (to mumble/slur unclearly).
Der Patient murmelte etwas Undeutliches, bevor er einschlief.
The patient mumbled something unclear before falling asleep.
In a visual context, 'undeutlich' often describes things that you cannot recognize well. Typical nouns are 'Schrift' (writing), 'Zeichnung' (drawing), 'Kontur' (outline), or 'Bild' (image/picture).
Am Horizont waren die undeutlichen Umrisse von Bergen zu erkennen.
The indistinct outlines of mountains could be seen on the horizon.
clear
'klar' and 'undeutlich' can be opposites when it comes to understanding or recognizing something. 'klar' means that something is easy to understand, unambiguous, or easy to see. 'undeutlich' is used when you hear something poorly, see something poorly, or do not understand it exactly. Learners may confuse the words because both occur with language, images, or information. A practical tip: if something is understood or recognized without any problem, it is 'klar'. If you have to ask again or look more closely, it is 'undeutlich'.
Die Ansage am Bahnhof war so undeutlich, dass viele Leute nachfragten.
The announcement at the train station was so unclear that many people asked for clarification.
Nach dem Gespräch ist mir der Termin jetzt klar.
After the conversation, the appointment is now clear to me.