der Unfall
accident
A sudden, unintended event that leads to damage, injury, or death.
EXAMPLE
Gestern gab es auf der A5 einen schweren Unfall mit mehreren Verletzten.
Yesterday there was a serious accident on the A5 with several people injured.
der Unfall
accident
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word 'Unfall' (accident) consists of the negative prefix 'Un-' and the noun 'Fall' (case/fall). So it literally describes a 'bad case' or an unfortunate event.
EXAMPLE
Ein kleiner Fehler beim Abbiegen führte zu dem Unfall.
A small mistake while turning led to the accident.
Typical verbs
Common verbs used with 'Unfall' (accident) are 'einen Unfall haben' (to have an accident), 'einen Unfall verursachen' (to cause an accident), or 'in einen Unfall verwickelt sein' (to be involved in an accident).
EXAMPLE
Der junge Fahrer hat den Unfall nicht verursacht.
The young driver did not cause the accident.
Typical adjectives
To describe the severity of an accident, the adjectives 'schwer' (serious), 'leicht' (minor), or 'tödlich' (fatal) are often used.
EXAMPLE
Bei dem leichten Unfall entstand nur ein kleiner Blechschaden.
In the minor accident, there was only a small amount of damage to the car.
Fixed constructions
To report an accident, the impersonal expressions 'Es gab einen Unfall' (There was an accident) or 'Es ist ein Unfall passiert' (An accident happened) are often used.
EXAMPLE
Auf der Landstraße ist schon wieder ein Unfall passiert.
Another accident has happened on the country road.
Compare with
Unfall vs Katastrophe
catastrophe
Both words refer to a sudden harmful event. Unfall mainly describes an unintended occurrence, while Katastrophe emphasizes the exceptional scale and very serious consequences. Use Unfall for the general event and Katastrophe when the scale is particularly large.
Unfall
Bei dem Unfall auf der Landstraße wurden zwei Menschen verletzt.
Two people were injured in the accident on the country road.
Katastrophe
Nach dem Erdbeben sprach die Regierung von einer Katastrophe mit schweren Folgen.
After the earthquake, the government called it a catastrophe with serious consequences.
In real life
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