undertaking
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undertaking
A plan or project that is considered difficult, time-consuming, or risky. The word is usually used in formal or elevated language.
Die Besteigung des Mount Everest ist ein gefährliches Unterfangen.
Climbing Mount Everest is a dangerous undertaking.
'Das Unterfangen' (undertaking) is a nominalized verb. It is derived from the rare verb 'sich unterfangen', which means something like 'to dare to do something difficult' or 'to undertake'.
Die Renovierung des alten Hauses war ein größeres Unterfangen als gedacht.
Renovating the old house was a bigger undertaking than expected.
This word belongs to elevated language and is mainly used in formal or written contexts. It often sounds more sophisticated and emphasizes the difficulty of a project.
In seiner Rede nannte der Kanzler den Klimaschutz ein gesamtgesellschaftliches Unterfangen.
In his speech, the chancellor called climate protection an undertaking for society as a whole.
'Unterfangen' (undertaking) is often combined with adjectives that emphasize difficulty, such as 'schwierig' (difficult), 'riskant' (risky), 'gewagt' (daring), or 'aussichtslos' (hopeless). A typical verb used with it is 'wagen' (to dare).
Es ist ein gewagtes Unterfangen, die Firma ohne fremdes Kapital zu gründen.
It is a daring undertaking to start the company without outside capital.
company / undertaking
'das Unternehmen' and 'das Unterfangen' can both mean a planned undertaking, especially when it is difficult or requires a lot of effort. However, 'das Unternehmen' also has another very common meaning: a company. When it means an undertaking, it sounds rather formal or somewhat elevated. 'das Unterfangen' almost always means a difficult or risky undertaking and also sounds formal. In everyday language, people often use simpler words like 'Plan' (plan) or 'Projekt' (project). When talking about a company, only 'das Unternehmen' fits, not 'das Unterfangen'.
Ohne genug Helfer blieb der Umzug in nur einem Tag ein schwieriges Unterfangen.
Without enough helpers, moving in just one day remained a difficult undertaking.
Das Unternehmen, die alte Scheune selbst zu renovieren, wurde schnell teurer als geplant.
The undertaking of renovating the old barn ourselves quickly became more expensive than planned.