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unerwartet
unexpected
Describes something that happens surprisingly or that one did not expect.
example
Sein Besuch kam völlig unerwartet.
His visit came completely unexpectedly.
unerwartet
unexpected
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word consists of the prefix 'un-', which expresses negation, and 'erwartet' (expected), the past participle of 'erwarten' (to expect). So it literally means 'not expected'.
EXAMPLE
Wir bekamen eine unerwartete Rechnung.
We received an unexpected bill.
Adjective or adverb
'Unerwartet' (unexpected) can stand as an adjective before a noun or as an adverb that describes a verb. As an adverb, it remains unchanged.
EXAMPLE
Das war ein unerwarteter Erfolg.
That was an unexpected success.
Typical collocations
Common combinations are 'unerwarteter Besuch' (unexpected visit), 'unerwartete Kosten' (unexpected costs), or 'eine unerwartete Nachricht' (an unexpected message). It is often intensified by adverbs like 'völlig' (completely) or 'ganz' (quite/completely).
EXAMPLE
Durch den Sturm entstanden unerwartete Kosten für die Reparatur.
The storm caused unexpected repair costs.
Compare with
unerwartet vs mal
once / times
'mal' in 'auf einmal' (all at once / suddenly) and 'unerwartet' both have to do with surprise. 'auf einmal' is a fixed adverbial expression and describes something happening suddenly. 'unerwartet' is an adjective or is used adverbially and says that one did not expect something. 'auf einmal' places more emphasis on the quick moment of change. 'unerwartet' places more emphasis on the fact that something was surprising. This is important here too: 'mal' by itself does not mean 'unerwartet'; only 'auf einmal' has this meaning.
unerwartet
Im Sommer kam die Krankheit unerwartet zurück.
In the summer, the illness unexpectedly returned.
mal
In der Pause war meine Kollegin auf einmal verschwunden.
During the break, my colleague suddenly disappeared.
In real life
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