die Untiefe
shoal
A shallow place in a body of water where ships or boats can run aground.
EXAMPLE
Das Schiff lief wegen einer Untiefe auf Grund.
The ship ran aground because of a shoal.
die Untiefe
shoal / depth
die Untiefe, die Untiefen
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Meanings
die Untiefe
unfathomable depth
A very great or unfathomable depth, especially in elevated or figurative language.
EXAMPLE
In den Untiefen des Meeres leben Tiere, die noch kaum erforscht sind.
Animals that have barely been studied live in the unfathomable depths of the sea.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Untiefe, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Untiefen |
| genitive | der Untiefe |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Untiefe | die Untiefen |
| accusative | die Untiefe | die Untiefen |
| dative | der Untiefe | den Untiefen |
| genitive | der Untiefe | der Untiefen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Untiefe' is made up of 'un-' and 'Tiefe' (depth). However, the compound is ambiguous: the word components alone do not clearly indicate which of the two meanings is intended.
EXAMPLE
Die Untiefe war auf der alten Seekarte nur ungenau eingezeichnet.
The shoal was only roughly marked on the old nautical chart.
Context clue
In the context of shipping and running aground, 'Untiefe' means a shoal. Images such as 'in den Untiefen des Meeres' (in the unfathomable depths of the sea), on the other hand, usually point to the meaning of a very great or unfathomable depth.
EXAMPLE
Der Kapitän ließ das Schiff langsam fahren, weil mehrere Untiefen in diesem Gebiet lagen.
The captain had the ship travel slowly because there were several shoals in this area.
In den Untiefen des Ozeans suchen Forschende nach unbekannten Lebensformen.
Researchers are looking for unknown life forms in the unfathomable depths of the ocean.
Typical collocations
For the meaning of a shoal, collocations related to shipping and running aground are typical, such as 'auf eine Untiefe laufen' (to run onto a shoal), 'wegen einer Untiefe auf Grund laufen' (to run aground because of a shoal), and 'Untiefen umfahren' (to navigate around shoals).
EXAMPLE
Das Boot lief bei niedrigem Wasserstand auf eine Untiefe.
The boat ran onto a shoal when the water level was low.
Figurative language
The meaning of a very great depth appears particularly often in elevated or figurative language, frequently in set images involving 'Meer' (sea), 'Ozean' (ocean), or 'Tiefe' (depth).
EXAMPLE
Das U-Boot sank langsam in die dunklen Untiefen des Ozeans.
The submarine slowly sank into the dark unfathomable depths of the ocean.
In real life
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