unfamiliar
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unfamiliar
Not familiar or known; different from what one is used to and therefore often felt to be foreign or strange.
Das Essen schmeckte gut, aber die Gewürze waren für mich ungewohnt.
The food tasted good, but the spices were unfamiliar to me.
unaccustomed to something
Not used to a particular activity, situation, or effort and therefore feeling unsure or uncomfortable.
Nach der langen Pause war er die körperliche Arbeit ungewohnt und schnell erschöpft.
After the long break, he was unaccustomed to the physical work and quickly became exhausted.
The word is made up of the prefix 'un-' (a negation) and the adjective 'gewohnt' (used to, familiar). So it literally means 'not used to' or 'not familiar'.
Die Stille in der Stadt war für ihn sehr ungewohnt.
The silence in the city was very unfamiliar to him.
If 'ungewohnt' (unfamiliar) stands alone or before a noun, it means 'unfamiliar'. However, if an accusative object follows, it describes that a person is not used to that thing.
Die Situation war für alle ungewohnt und etwas peinlich.
The situation was unfamiliar to everyone and a little embarrassing.
In the meaning 'to not be used to something', a special structure is used: the person is the subject, followed by 'sein' (to be), the accusative object (the thing), and 'ungewohnt' (unaccustomed).
Nach seinem Urlaub war er die schwere körperliche Arbeit ungewohnt.
After his vacation, he was unaccustomed to the heavy physical work.
new
Neu describes an environment that someone does not know yet or is experiencing for the first time. Ungewohnt, by contrast, emphasizes the difference from the person’s usual habits and can still apply after a longer period of time. Neu fits a first encounter, while ungewohnt describes a lack of familiarity.
Auch nach einem Monat ist das große Büro für mich noch ungewohnt.
Even after a month, the large office still feels unfamiliar to me.
An meinem ersten Arbeitstag ist das große Büro für mich noch neu.
On my first day at work, the large office is still new to me.
