unfreundlich
unfriendly
Describes a person or their behavior as not nice, dismissive, or impolite.
EXAMPLE
Der Verkäufer war am Telefon sehr unfreundlich zu mir.
The salesperson was very unfriendly to me on the phone.
unfreundlich
unfriendly
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
unfreundlich
unwelcoming
Describes an environment, the weather, or a situation as inhospitable, uncomfortable, or unwelcoming.
EXAMPLE
Bei diesem unfreundlichen Wetter möchte man nicht vor die Tür gehen.
In this unwelcoming weather, you don't want to go outside.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word has a simple structure: the prefix 'un-' negates the adjective 'freundlich' (friendly). 'Un-' is a very common prefix in German for expressing the opposite.
EXAMPLE
Sein Verhalten war nicht nur unfreundlich, sondern auch unprofessionell.
His behavior was not only unfriendly, but also unprofessional.
Context clue
You can tell whether a person or a thing is meant from the noun. If 'unfreundlich' (unfriendly) refers to a person or their behavior, it means 'impolite'. If it refers to the weather, a place, or colors, it means 'uncomfortable' or 'unwelcoming'.
EXAMPLE
Der Beamte gab mir eine sehr unfreundliche Antwort.
The official gave me a very unfriendly answer.
Use with a preposition
If you want to say whom a person is unfriendly to, use the preposition 'zu' followed by the dative. The structure is: 'jemand ist unfreundlich zu jemandem' (someone is unfriendly to someone).
EXAMPLE
Warum bist du heute so unfreundlich zu deinen Kollegen?
Why are you so unfriendly to your colleagues today?
Typical collocations
In the meaning of 'inhospitable' or 'unwelcoming', the adjective is often used to describe the weather, an atmosphere, or an environment. Typical phrases are 'unfreundliches Wetter' (unwelcoming weather), 'eine unfreundliche Gegend' (an unwelcoming area), or 'eine unfreundliche Atmosphäre' (an unwelcoming atmosphere).
EXAMPLE
Wegen des unfreundlichen Wetters wurde das Picknick abgesagt.
Because of the unwelcoming weather, the picnic was canceled.
Compare with
unfreundlich vs grob
rude / rough / approximate
Grob and unfreundlich can both describe an unpleasant reaction. Grob usually implies treatment that is clearly brusque, inconsiderate, or hurtful. Unfreundlich is broader and also fits when someone reacts merely in a cold, dismissive, or unkind way.
unfreundlich
Der Mitarbeiter wies meine Frage mit einem unfreundlichen Blick zurück.
The employee dismissed my question with an unfriendly look.
grob
Der Mitarbeiter wies meine Frage mit einer groben Bemerkung zurück.
The employee dismissed my question with a rude remark.
In real life
Loading video examples...