verdutzt
taken aback
Confused and surprised, so that at first you do not know how to react or what to say.
EXAMPLE
Er sah mich verdutzt an und wusste keine Antwort.
He looked at me, taken aback, and had no answer.
verdutzt
taken aback
verdutzt – verdutzter – am verdutztesten
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry verdutzt, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | verdutzt |
|---|---|
| comparative | verdutzter |
| superlative | am verdutztesten |
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 verdutzt.
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 verdutzt.
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 verdutzt.
Usage tips
Typical sentence position
'Verdutzt' (taken aback) often follows 'sein' (to be) to describe a temporary state, or is used with a verb of looking. It can also appear directly before a noun to describe a visible reaction or facial expression.
EXAMPLE
Nach dieser unerwarteten Frage war sie völlig verdutzt.
After that unexpected question, she was completely taken aback.
Er machte ein verdutztes Gesicht.
He had a startled expression on his face.
Typical collocations
Common combinations include 'verdutzt dreinschauen' (to look taken aback), 'jemanden verdutzt ansehen' (to look at someone, taken aback), and 'verdutzt nachfragen' (to ask a follow-up question in surprise). The adjective often describes an immediately visible reaction during a conversation.
EXAMPLE
Als niemand aufstand, schaute der neue Schüler verdutzt drein.
When no one stood up, the new student looked taken aback.
Narrative style
'Verdutzt' (taken aback) is especially common in narratives and descriptions of reactions, when an unexpected situation briefly interrupts a person's normal response. The context therefore often includes a surprising trigger, such as an unexpected question or message.
EXAMPLE
Sie las die Nachricht zweimal und blieb verdutzt vor dem Bildschirm sitzen.
She read the message twice and remained seated in front of the screen, taken aback.
In real life
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