versunken in
absorbed in
Completely absorbed in thoughts, feelings, or an activity and therefore barely paying attention to one’s surroundings.
EXAMPLE
Sie saß versunken in ein Buch am Fenster.
She sat by the window, absorbed in a book.
versunken
absorbed / sunken / bygone
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Meanings
versunken
sunken
Having gone under or sunk so deeply into water, earth, or another material that it lies completely or partly within it.
EXAMPLE
Die versunkene Stadt wurde nach Jahrhunderten wiederentdeckt.
The sunken city was rediscovered after centuries.
versunken
bygone
Past and no longer existing, or known only through memory.
EXAMPLE
Er erzählte von einer versunkenen Welt seiner Kindheit.
He talked about a bygone world from his childhood.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry versunken, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | versunken |
|---|
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 versunken.
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 versunken.
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 versunken.
Usage tips
Word family
'Versunken' (absorbed / sunken) is the participle of the verb 'versinken' (to sink) and is also used as an adjective. This connection helps with understanding: the word often describes an achieved state, including in a figurative sense.
EXAMPLE
Vom versunkenen Schiff waren nur noch die Masten zu sehen.
Only the masts of the sunken ship were still visible.
Preposition and case
When you name the activity or thing that completely occupies someone, 'in' is often used with the accusative. In the fixed expression 'in Gedanken versunken' (lost in thought), however, it is used with the dative.
EXAMPLE
Er war so in seine Arbeit versunken, dass er das Telefon nicht hörte.
He was so absorbed in his work that he did not hear the phone.
In Gedanken versunken ging sie an ihrer Haustür vorbei.
Lost in thought, she walked past her front door.
Typical collocations
Common collocations include 'versunkene Schiffe' (sunken ships), 'versunkene Schätze' (sunken treasures), and 'versunkene Städte' (sunken cities). You will encounter them especially in reports about dives and the search for remains from the past.
EXAMPLE
Die Taucher suchten vor der Küste nach versunkenen Schätzen.
The divers searched for sunken treasures off the coast.
Literary style
When referring to memories and past eras, 'versunken' (bygone) has a vivid and often literary quality. Typical collocations include 'eine versunkene Welt' (a bygone world) and 'eine versunkene Epoche' (a bygone era).
EXAMPLE
Die alten Briefe lassen eine versunkene Epoche wieder lebendig werden.
The old letters bring a bygone era back to life.
In real life
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