opaque / unclear
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opaque
Not transparent; made in such a way that one cannot see through it. Synonymous with opaque.
Das Badezimmerfenster ist aus undurchsichtigem Glas, um die Privatsphäre zu wahren.
The bathroom window is made of opaque glass to preserve privacy.
unclear
Difficult to understand or see through; unclear, confused, or mysterious. Refers to plans, motives, situations, or wording.
Seine Motive für die Entscheidung blieben für uns völlig undurchsichtig.
His motives for the decision remained completely unclear to us.
The word is the opposite of 'durchsichtig' (transparent). 'Durchsichtig' itself comes from 'durch' (through) and 'Sicht' (sight/view). 'Undurchsichtig' therefore literally means that one cannot see through it.
Die Fensterfolie ist undurchsichtig und schützt vor neugierigen Blicken.
The window film is opaque and protects against prying eyes.
In its literal meaning, the adjective describes the property of physical materials. Typical nouns are 'Glas' (glass), 'Flüssigkeit' (liquid), 'Vorhang' (curtain), or 'Material' (material).
Die Wasserprobe war eine trübe, undurchsichtige Flüssigkeit.
The water sample was a cloudy, opaque liquid.
The figurative meaning is used for abstract things that are difficult to understand. When it is about 'Motive' (motives), 'Pläne' (plans), 'Geschäfte' (business dealings), or 'Regeln' (rules), it means 'unclear' or 'mysterious'.
Die Finanzierung des gesamten Projekts ist für Außenstehende sehr undurchsichtig.
The financing of the entire project is very unclear to outsiders.
incomprehensible
„Unverständlich“ applies when wording cannot be understood. „Undurchsichtig“ here means that its connections, intentions, or underlying background remain difficult to see through. So a formulation can be linguistically understandable and still be opaque in meaning.
Wegen der fehlenden Zusammenhänge bleibt die Erklärung undurchsichtig.
The explanation remains unclear because the connections are missing.
Wegen der fehlerhaften Sätze ist die Erklärung unverständlich.
The explanation is incomprehensible because of the faulty sentences.
