wondrous
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wondrous
Wonderful or strange in an astonishing, often inexplicable or fairy-tale-like way.
Die wundersame Heilung des Patienten konnten sich die Ärzte nicht erklären.
The doctors could not explain the patient's wondrous recovery.
The adjective is derived from 'das Wunder' (miracle/wonder). The ending '-sam' forms adjectives that describe a quality or tendency. So 'wundersam' (wondrous) means something like 'full of wonders' or 'like a miracle'.
Im Wald entdeckten wir eine wundersame Pflanze.
In the forest, we discovered a wondrous plant.
'Wundersam' (wondrous) belongs more to written language and has a poetic or fairy-tale-like sound. It is used less often in normal everyday speech.
Die Geschichte erzählt von einer wundersamen Reise in ein fernes Land.
The story tells of a wondrous journey to a distant land.
The adjective often describes nouns that refer to a change, an event, or a place, such as 'eine wundersame Verwandlung' (a wondrous transformation), 'eine wundersame Begegnung' (a wondrous encounter), or 'eine wundersame Welt' (a wondrous world).
Es war eine wundersame Begegnung, die mein Leben veränderte.
It was a wondrous encounter that changed my life.
wonderful
'wunderbar' and 'wundersam' look very similar, and both can have to do with something astonishing. The important difference lies in the feeling of the word. 'wunderbar' is clear praise: something is very good, beautiful, or pleasant. 'wundersam' is more about something seeming strange, fairy-tale-like, or hard to explain. Learners may confuse the words because both begin with 'Wunder' (miracle / wonder). As a simple guide: for a normal compliment, use 'wunderbar'. 'wundersam' fits when something seems mysterious or unusual.
Im alten Garten lag am Morgen ein wundersamer blauer Stein.
In the old garden, a wondrous blue stone lay there in the morning.
Die Verkäuferin hat mir einen wunderbaren Schal für den Winter gezeigt.
The saleswoman showed me a wonderful scarf for the winter.