vague
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vague
Not clear, imprecise, or only unclearly formulated or recognizable. It lacks precision and details.
Er hatte nur eine vage Vorstellung davon, wie er das Problem lösen sollte.
He had only a vague idea of how he should solve the problem.
'Vage' (vague) often describes unclear thoughts, memories, or information. Typical combinations are 'eine vage Ahnung' (a vague suspicion/idea), 'eine vage Erinnerung' (a vague memory), 'eine vage Beschreibung' (a vague description), or 'eine vage Aussage' (a vague statement).
Ich habe nur eine vage Erinnerung an meine frühe Kindheit.
I have only a vague memory of my early childhood.
The word can also be used as an adverb to modify a verb. It then means 'not exactly' or 'only indistinctly'.
Er konnte sich nur vage an den Vorfall erinnern.
He could only vaguely remember the incident.
'Vage' (vague) belongs to standard language and is often used to express oneself cautiously or to emphasize that details are missing. It often sounds somewhat more formal than 'ungenau' (imprecise).
Die Pläne für das Projekt sind bisher noch sehr vage.
The plans for the project are still very vague so far.
exact / precise
'genau' and 'vage' are opposites when talking about information, plans, or statements. 'genau' means that something is clear, precise, and has no important gaps. 'vage' means that something remains unclear and important details are missing. If someone clearly states a time, a place, or an explanation, the information is precise. If you only roughly understand what is meant, the statement is vague.
Warum ist deine Antwort vor dem Termin noch so vage?
Why is your answer still so vague before the appointment?
Morgen wird sie bei der Arbeit den genauen Reiseplan vorstellen.
Tomorrow at work, she will present the exact travel plan.