unvollkommen
imperfect
Not perfect or complete; characterized by errors, shortcomings, or weaknesses.
EXAMPLE
Die menschliche Wahrnehmung ist unvollkommen und kann sich leicht täuschen.
Human perception is imperfect and can easily be deceived.
unvollkommen
imperfect
unvollkommen – unvollkommener – am unvollkommensten
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry unvollkommen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | unvollkommen |
|---|---|
| comparative | unvollkommener |
| superlative | am unvollkommensten |
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to unvollkommen.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to unvollkommen.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to unvollkommen.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Unvollkommen' is made up of 'un-' and 'vollkommen' (perfect). The prefix 'un-' turns the positive adjective into a negation and signals that a standard has not been fully reached.
EXAMPLE
Auch ein unvollkommenes Ergebnis kann nützlich sein.
Even an imperfect result can be useful.
Typical collocations
'Unvollkommen' is often used with abstract or evaluative terms, such as 'Lösung' (solution), 'System' (system), 'Modell' (model), or 'Kenntnisse' (knowledge). It often describes limited quality without fundamentally rejecting something.
EXAMPLE
Das Modell ist noch unvollkommen, liefert aber bereits wichtige Ergebnisse.
The model is still imperfect, but it is already producing important results.
Evaluative use
The adjective is often used in factual, academic, or reflective contexts when limitations or weaknesses are assessed cautiously. It can refer to people, ideas, methods, or results.
EXAMPLE
Die unvollkommene Methode muss durch weitere Untersuchungen verbessert werden.
The imperfect method needs to be improved through further research.
In real life
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