ungewiss
uncertain
A state or future that is not known, secure, or predictable. It describes a situation full of uncertainty.
EXAMPLE
Ob er die Prüfung bestanden hat, ist noch ungewiss.
Whether he passed the exam is still uncertain.
ungewiss
uncertain / hesitant
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Meanings
ungewiss
hesitant
Describes a person or their movement that seems unsure, hesitant, or indecisive.
EXAMPLE
Mit ungewissen Schritten betrat er den dunklen Raum.
With hesitant steps, he entered the dark room.
Usage tips
Word formation with 'un-'
The prefix 'un-' expresses negation. 'Ungewiss' (uncertain) is the opposite of 'gewiss', which means 'certain'. So 'ungewiss' means 'not certain'.
EXAMPLE
Die genaue Ursache des Problems ist noch ungewiss.
The exact cause of the problem is still uncertain.
Sentence structure with 'ob'
In the meaning 'uncertain', 'ungewiss' is often used in the fixed structure 'Es ist ungewiss, ob ...' (It is uncertain whether ...), followed by a subordinate clause.
EXAMPLE
Es ist ungewiss, ob das Wetter morgen gut genug für die Wanderung sein wird.
It is uncertain whether the weather will be good enough for the hike tomorrow.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the usage: if 'ungewiss' refers to a situation or the future, it means 'uncertain'. If it describes a person or their movements, it means 'hesitant'.
EXAMPLE
Der Ausgang der Wahl ist noch völlig ungewiss.
The outcome of the election is still completely uncertain.
Typical collocations
When 'ungewiss' describes a person, it often comes before nouns like 'Schritte' (steps), 'Blick' (look), or 'Stimme' (voice) to express uncertainty in behavior.
EXAMPLE
Mit ungewisser Stimme fragte sie, was passiert sei.
In a hesitant voice, she asked what had happened.
Compare with
ungewiss vs unbekannt
unknown
An outcome is unbekannt (unknown) when one does not know it, for example because the result has not yet been announced. Ungewiss (uncertain), on the other hand, emphasizes that the outcome is still open and cannot be predicted with certainty. A lack of knowledge points to unbekannt; an uncertain future points to ungewiss.
ungewiss
Der Ausgang der Wahl ist noch ungewiss, weil beide Kandidaten gleichauf liegen.
The outcome of the election is still uncertain because both candidates are tied.
unbekannt
Der Ausgang der Wahl ist der Öffentlichkeit noch unbekannt, weil das Ergebnis nicht veröffentlicht wurde.
The outcome of the election is still unknown to the public because the result has not been published.
In real life
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