unterschiedlich
different
Not the same; differing from something else in one or more characteristics.
EXAMPLE
Die beiden Brüder haben sehr unterschiedliche Interessen.
The two brothers have very different interests.
unterschiedlich
different
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Meanings
unterschiedlich
various
Various; referring to a variety of things or types.
EXAMPLE
Es gibt unterschiedliche Gründe, warum Menschen eine neue Sprache lernen.
There are various reasons why people learn a new language.
unterschiedlich
differently
As an adverb: in different ways or to different degrees.
EXAMPLE
Die Teilnehmer wurden für ihre Leistungen unterschiedlich hoch belohnt.
The participants were rewarded at different levels for their achievements.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Unterschiedlich' (different) is derived directly from the noun 'der Unterschied' (the difference). If you know the noun, you can easily work out the meaning of the adjective: it means 'showing a difference'.
EXAMPLE
Trotz ihres ähnlichen Aussehens haben die Zwillinge unterschiedliche Persönlichkeiten.
Despite their similar appearance, the twins have different personalities.
Sentence structure and usage
When comparing two things, you can say 'A und B sind unterschiedlich' (A and B are different). You can also use the structure 'A ist unterschiedlich von B' (A is different from B) with the preposition 'von' and the dative.
EXAMPLE
Meine Meinung ist unterschiedlich von deiner.
My opinion is different from yours.
Usage with plural
When 'unterschiedlich' stands before a plural noun, it often means 'different kinds of'. It emphasizes the variety within a group.
EXAMPLE
Das Museum zeigt Kunst aus unterschiedlichen Epochen.
The museum shows art from various eras.
Adverbial usage
As an adverb, 'unterschiedlich' describes the way something happens. In this case, it is not declined and usually stands in the middle or at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Die Geschwister entwickelten sich sehr unterschiedlich.
The siblings developed very differently.
Compare with
unterschiedlich vs ander
other / different
Ein anderer Ansatz is an alternative to the previous approach. Unterschiedlich highlights that two approaches are not the same in their characteristics. Use ander when choosing an alternative and unterschiedlich when comparing several approaches with one another.
unterschiedlich
Die Ansätze der beiden Versuche sind unterschiedlich aufgebaut.
The approaches used in the two experiments are structured differently.
ander
Nach dem ersten Versuch wählen wir einen anderen Ansatz.
After the first attempt, we choose a different approach.
In real life
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