accident
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accident
A sudden, unintended event that leads to damage, injury, or death.
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.
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.
Ein kleiner Fehler beim Abbiegen führte zu dem Unfall.
A small mistake while turning led to the accident.
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).
Der junge Fahrer hat den Unfall nicht verursacht.
The young driver did not cause the accident.
To describe the severity of an accident, the adjectives 'schwer' (serious), 'leicht' (minor), or 'tödlich' (fatal) are often used.
Bei dem leichten Unfall entstand nur ein kleiner Blechschaden.
In the minor accident, there was only a small amount of damage to the car.
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.
Auf der Landstraße ist schon wieder ein Unfall passiert.
Another accident has happened on the country road.
catastrophe
'der Unfall' and 'die Katastrophe' both refer to something bad that can cause harm. 'Unfall' means a sudden, unintended event, for example in traffic, at home, or at work. 'Katastrophe' is much stronger and means a very great misfortune with serious consequences. Colloquially, 'Katastrophe' can also be used for something that has gone completely wrong. The words can be confused because a serious accident can be a catastrophe. But not every accident is automatically a catastrophe.
Nach dem Unfall rief ein Passant sofort die Polizei.
After the accident, a passerby immediately called the police.
Das Erdbeben war eine Katastrophe für die ganze Region.
The earthquake was a catastrophe for the whole region.