das  Ungeheuer

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʊnɡəˈhɔʏɐ/

👻 What does "das Ungeheuer" mean?

The German word das Ungeheuer primarily has two meanings:

1. A terrifying, often large and ugly mythical creature or animal: In this sense, it's a synonym for Monster or Bestie (beast). It's often used in fairy tales, legends, or horror movies.
2. Something very large, enormous, or shocking (often figuratively): It can also be used to describe the enormous size, quantity, or intensity of something, e.g., "ein Ungeheuer von einem Schiff" (a monster of a ship) or in the expression "etwas Ungeheuerliches" (something scandalous, outrageous).

It is always a noun with the neuter article das.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "das Ungeheuer" in Detail

"Das Ungeheuer" is a neuter noun. Here are the declension tables:

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

Example Sentences

• Im Märchen kämpfte der Held gegen ein schreckliches Ungeheuer. (In the fairy tale, the hero fought against a terrible monster. - Meaning 1)
• Der Schuldenberg ist zu einem Ungeheuer angewachsen. (The mountain of debt has grown into a monster. - Meaning 2)
• Man fand Spuren eines unbekannten Ungeheuers im Wald. (Traces of an unknown monster were found in the forest. - Meaning 1)
• Das war ja eine ungeheure Überraschung! (That was an enormous surprise! - Adjectival use: huge, enormous)

💡 Usage Tips for "Ungeheuer"

• Context "Monster": Often used in fictional contexts (Märchen - fairy tales, Sagen - legends, fantasy, horror). It emphasizes the frightening and alien aspects. Synonyms like Monster or Bestie (beast) are common.
• Context "Enormity": Can be used to describe the sheer size or scale of something tangible (a ship, a building) or abstract (a task, a problem, a lie). Here, it often sounds hyperbolic (exaggerated).
• Adjective "ungeheuer": The related adjective ungeheuer means "enormous", "huge", "tremendous" or "outrageous" and is used more frequently in everyday life than the noun in its second meaning (e.g., "ungeheuer wichtig" - enormously important, "ungeheuer teuer" - incredibly expensive).
• Distinction from "Scheusal": While Ungeheuer can be a mythical creature, Scheusal often refers to a morally reprehensible, cruel person. The boundaries can be fluid.

🧠 Mnemonics to Remember

For the article: Think of 'das' as the neuter article for things or impersonal beings. Das Monster, das Wesen (the creature), das Ding (the thing) - it's neutrally spooky, so it's das Ungeheuer.

For the meaning: Imagine something so big or scary that it makes you feel uneasy or *not* comfortable ('nicht geheuer'). It's 'un-comfortable', 'un-familiar' – it's un-geheuer!

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but different words:

• Geheuer: The opposite of 'ungeheuer' in the sense of 'eerie' or 'suspicious'. "Das ist mir nicht geheuer." (I don't trust this / This seems fishy to me.)

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt ein kleines Monster seine Mama: "Mama, bin ich ein Ungeheuer?"
Sagt die Mama: "Aber nein, mein Schatz! Höchstens ein kleines Scheusal, wenn du dein Zimmer nicht aufräumst!"

Translation:

A little monster asks its mom: "Mom, am I a monster (Ungeheuer)?"
The mom says: "Of course not, sweetie! At most a little fiend (Scheusal) if you don't clean your room!"

📜 A Poem about the Ungeheuer

Im tiefen Wald, im dunklen See,
Da lauert es, oh weh, oh weh.
Das Ungeheuer, groß und grau,
Macht allen Angst, ganz ungenau.
Doch manchmal ist's, man glaubt es kaum,
Nur ein Problem, ein Riesentraum,
Ein Berg von Arbeit, hoch und breit,
Ein Ungeheuer unsrer Zeit.

Translation:

In the deep forest, in the dark lake,
There it lurks, oh dear, oh dear.
The monster, large and grey,
Scares everyone, quite vaguely.
But sometimes it is, one hardly believes,
Just a problem, a giant dream,
A mountain of work, high and wide,
A monster of our time.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich hab Schuppen, Klauen, Zähne spitz,
Lebe in Sagen, nicht zum Witz.
Manchmal bin ich nur riesengroß,
Ein Problem vielleicht, halt sächlich bloß.

Wer oder was bin ich?

Translation:

I have scales, claws, sharp teeth,
Live in legends, not for a laugh.
Sometimes I'm just gigantic,
A problem perhaps, simply neuter.

Who or what am I?

Solution: das Ungeheuer (the monster)

🧩 Other Information

Word Composition: The word "Ungeheuer" is composed of the prefix un- (which can express negation or intensification) and the old word geheuer. Originally, geheuer meant something like 'pleasant', 'familiar', 'homely'. An Ungeheuer was therefore something uncanny, unfamiliar, alien, and thus potentially frightening or simply extraordinary, very large.