uneducated
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uneducated
A person who has little schooling or general knowledge and is not familiar with cultural or scientific topics. The expression can sound derogatory.
Er mag zwar keine formale Hochschulbildung haben, aber er ist alles andere als ungebildet.
He may not have a formal university education, but he is anything but uneducated.
The word consists of the prefix 'un-', which expresses negation, and the adjective 'gebildet' (educated). So 'ungebildet' literally means 'not educated'.
Seine Kommentare zeigten, dass er in diesem Thema völlig ungebildet war.
His comments showed that he was completely uneducated on this topic.
Be careful when using this word, as it is often perceived as strongly derogatory or insulting. It does not only judge someone's level of knowledge, but can also be understood as an attack on the person.
Ihn als ungebildet zu bezeichnen, wäre unfair und verletzend.
Calling him uneducated would be unfair and hurtful.
The adjective is often used in contrasting sentences to soften or qualify a negative statement. A typical structure is 'zwar X, aber nicht ungebildet' (admittedly X, but not uneducated).
Sie hat zwar keinen Universitätsabschluss, ist aber keineswegs ungebildet.
She may not have a university degree, but she is by no means uneducated.
unaware / ignorant
Both words can apply when someone lacks knowledge. „Unwissend“ refers more neutrally to a particular fact, while „ungebildet“ describes a more general lack of schooling, general knowledge, and cultural awareness and can sound derogatory. Use „unwissend“ for a single gap in knowledge, and „ungebildet“ for a general assessment.
Jonas wirkte bei vielen Gesprächen über Kultur und Wissenschaft ungebildet.
Jonas seemed uneducated in many conversations about culture and science.
Jonas war über die Geschichte des Gebäudes unwissend, weil er erst gestern eingezogen war.
Jonas was unaware of the building’s history because he had only moved in yesterday.
