incredible
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incredible
So extraordinary, great, or extreme that it is hard to believe. Can be used both positively and negatively.
Er hat eine unglaubliche Willensstärke bewiesen und das Rennen trotz Verletzung beendet.
He showed incredible willpower and finished the race despite being injured.
incredibly
Used colloquially as an intensifier in the sense of 'very' or 'extremely'.
Das Essen in diesem Restaurant ist unglaublich lecker.
The food in this restaurant is incredibly delicious.
The word is made up of the prefix 'un-' (not), the stem of 'glauben' (to believe), and the ending '-lich'. Something that is 'unglaublich' (incredible) is therefore literally 'not to be believed'.
Er erzählte uns eine unglaubliche Geschichte von seiner Reise.
He told us an incredible story about his trip.
Especially in colloquial language, 'unglaublich' (incredible/incredibly) is often used like 'sehr' (very) or 'extrem' (extremely) to intensify another adjective. It then stands directly before that adjective.
Die Aussicht vom Berggipfel war unglaublich schön.
The view from the mountaintop was incredibly beautiful.
In its literal meaning, 'unglaublich' (incredible) can describe something very positive (amazing) as well as something very negative (shocking). The context makes clear what is meant.
Sie hat mit unglaublich viel Mut gehandelt.
She acted with incredible courage.
impossible
As colloquial intensifiers, both words can express an extreme degree. „Unglaublich“ usually emphasizes astonishment, while „unmöglich“ can additionally suggest excess or disapproval. Use „unglaublich“ for surprised admiration and „unmöglich“ when the extreme degree seems more problematic.
Der Kaffee war unglaublich heiß, aber nach kurzer Zeit konnte ich ihn trinken.
The coffee was incredibly hot, but I could drink it after a short while.
Der Kaffee war unmöglich heiß, sodass ich ihn sofort wegstellen musste.
The coffee was impossibly hot, so I had to put it down immediately.
