ignorance
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ignorance
The lack of knowledge or information about a particular matter or fact.
Er handelte aus reiner Unkenntnis der neuen Vorschriften und nicht aus böser Absicht.
He acted out of sheer ignorance of the new regulations and not out of malicious intent.
The word is easy to understand if you break it down. It consists of the prefix 'Un-', which expresses negation, and the noun 'die Kenntnis' (knowledge). So 'Unkenntnis' literally means 'not knowing'.
Seine Kenntnis der deutschen Geschichte ist beeindruckend.
His knowledge of German history is impressive.
'Unkenntnis' is a rather formal word and is often used in written language, in official documents, or in legal contexts. It is relatively rare in normal conversation.
Im Vertrag steht, dass Unkenntnis der Regeln nicht vor Strafe schützt.
The contract states that ignorance of the rules does not protect one from punishment.
'Unkenntnis' is very often used with the preposition 'aus'. The fixed phrase 'aus Unkenntnis' (out of ignorance) expresses that an action happened because of a lack of knowledge.
Er hat den Fehler aus reiner Unkenntnis gemacht, nicht mit Absicht.
He made the mistake out of sheer ignorance, not on purpose.
The fixed expression has a fixed structure: 'jemanden (Akkusativ) über etwas (Akkusativ) in Unkenntnis lassen' (to leave someone uninformed about something). It means that someone deliberately withholds information from a person.
Man hat uns lange über die wahren Gründe in Unkenntnis gelassen.
We were kept uninformed about the real reasons for a long time.
knowledge
'die Kenntnis' and 'die Unkenntnis' are opposites. Here, 'Kenntnis' means that someone is aware of or informed about a piece of information. 'Unkenntnis' means that this knowledge is missing. The words are easy to confuse because they look almost the same; however, the 'Un-' makes the meaning negative. The difference is also important in fixed expressions: to set someone 'in Kenntnis' means to inform them. To leave someone 'in Unkenntnis' means not to give them the information.
Aus Unkenntnis der Regeln füllte Paul das Formular falsch aus.
Out of ignorance of the rules, Paul filled out the form incorrectly.
Der Chef setzte das Team sofort von der Änderung in Kenntnis.
The boss informed the team about the change immediately.