unnötig
unnecessary
Not necessary or required; superfluous.
EXAMPLE
Deine abfällige Bemerkung war in dieser Situation völlig unnötig.
Your disparaging remark was completely unnecessary in this situation.
unnötig
unnecessary
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The adjective is made up of the negative prefix 'un-' and the adjective 'nötig' (necessary). So it literally means 'not necessary'.
EXAMPLE
Bitte machen Sie keine unnötigen Kopien.
Please don't make any unnecessary copies.
As an adverb
'Unnötig' can also be used as an adverb to modify a verb or another adjective. It then means 'in a way that is not necessary'.
EXAMPLE
Du hast die Situation unnötig kompliziert gemacht.
You made the situation unnecessarily complicated.
Implicit criticism
Often, 'unnötig' does not only express that something is superfluous, but also contains a negative judgment or criticism. An 'unnötige Bemerkung' (unnecessary remark) is usually also an inappropriate or hurtful remark.
EXAMPLE
Sein Kommentar über ihr Aussehen war verletzend und absolut unnötig.
His comment about her appearance was hurtful and absolutely unnecessary.
Compare with
unnötig vs überflüssig
unnecessary / superfluous
Both words can say that something is not needed. „Unnötig“ mainly denies the necessity of something, while „überflüssig“ often also suggests that there is too much of something or that it offers no further benefit. Use „unnötig“ when something is simply not required, and „überflüssig“ when it seems dispensable as an addition.
unnötig
Für die kurze Besprechung ist eine Präsentation unnötig.
A presentation is unnecessary for the short meeting.
überflüssig
Für die kurze Besprechung wäre eine zweite Präsentation überflüssig.
A second presentation would be superfluous for the short meeting.
In real life
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