das  Unglück

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʊnˈɡlʏk/

❓ What does "das Unglück" mean?

Das Unglück is a German noun with several related meanings, all describing something negative:

• Bad luck / Misfortune: A state or situation where one is unlucky. Often used in a personal, smaller context. Example: Er hatte das Unglück, seinen Schlüssel zu verlieren. (He had the misfortune of losing his key.)
• Accident / Disaster: A sudden, unexpected event with negative consequences, often involving damage or injury. Example: Bei dem Zugunglück gab es viele Verletzte. (There were many injured in the train accident.)
• Misery / Hardship: A state of great suffering, sorrow, or a difficult life situation. Example: Der Krieg stürzte das Land ins Unglück. (The war plunged the country into misery.)

🚨 Important: Although it's primarily "das Unglück" (neuter), the plural form "die Unglücke" is often used when referring to specific accidents or disasters.

🧐 Grammar of "das Unglück" in Detail

"Unglück" is a neuter noun. The article is "das".

Declension (Singular - Uncountable/Abstract):

Declension (Plural - for specific events/accidents):

Example Sentences for Grammar

1. Das plötzliche Unglück traf die Familie schwer.
   (The sudden misfortune hit the family hard.)
2. Sie gedachten der Opfer des Unglücks.
   (They commemorated the victims of the disaster.)
3. Man muss auch dem Unglück etwas Positives abgewinnen können.
   (One must be able to find something positive even in misfortune.)
4. Er konnte das Unglück nicht verhindern.
   (He couldn't prevent the disaster/misfortune.)
5. Die Unglücke der letzten Jahre haben viele Menschenleben gefordert.
   (The disasters/accidents of recent years have claimed many lives.)

💡 How to use "das Unglück"?

"Das Unglück" is used in various contexts:

• Personal Bad Luck: When something minor goes wrong ("Ich hatte das Unglück, den letzten Bus zu verpassen." - I had the misfortune of missing the last bus.). Here, it's often interchangeable with "Pech haben" (to have bad luck).
• Accidents and Disasters: For serious events like traffic accidents, natural disasters, or other calamities ("Das Flugzeugunglück erschütterte die Welt." - The plane crash shook the world.). The plural "die Unglücke" is frequently used here.
• General Suffering: To describe a state of deep sorrow or great hardship ("Sein ganzes Leben war von Unglück gezeichnet." - His whole life was marked by misfortune.).

Distinctions:

• Pech (das): Usually less severe than Unglück, often based on chance.
• Unfall (der): A specific event, often involving physical damage. "Unglück" can also describe the result or the state afterwards.
• Katastrophe (die): A very large, far-reaching disaster (Unglück).

There are also common idioms like "Unglück im Spiel, Glück in der Liebe" (Unlucky at cards, lucky in love) or "Ein Unglück kommt selten allein" (Misfortune never comes alone / It never rains but it pours).

🧠 Mnemonics for "das Unglück"

For the article "das": Think of fate – das Schicksal (also neuter) – as being neutral. It's not inherently good or bad, so it can bring das Glück (luck) or das Unglück (misfortune). Das neutral fate brings das Unglück.

For the meaning: Focus on "Un-Glück". The prefix "Un-" in German often means "not" or the opposite (like 'un-' in English). So, Unglück is literally "un-luck" or the opposite of Glück (luck, happiness).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for "Unglück"

⚠️ Note: Words like "Unfall" (der) - accident - often describe an Unglück, but are more specific to the event itself, whereas "Unglück" can also describe the state or consequence.

😂 A Little Joke

Richter: "Wie konnten Sie nur das Auto stehlen?"
Angeklagter: "Es war ein Unglück, Herr Richter! Es stand direkt vor der Kneipe 'Zum Durstigen Dieb'."

Translation:
Judge: "How could you possibly steal the car?"
Defendant: "It was an accident/misfortune, Your Honor! It was parked right in front of the pub 'The Thirsty Thief'."

📜 Poem about Misfortune

Manchmal schleicht es leise an,
das Unglück, klopft behutsam dran.
Ein kleiner Fehler, kaum bedacht,
hat großes Leid hervorgebracht.

Mal kommt es schnell, mit Sturm und Braus,
zerstört das liebe, alte Haus.
Doch auch im tiefsten Dunkel, glaub,
keimt Hoffnung zart wie junges Laub.

Translation:
Sometimes it creeps up softly,
Misfortune, knocking gently.
A small mistake, barely considered,
Has brought forth great suffering.

Sometimes it comes fast, with storm and roar,
Destroys the dear old house's door.
But even in the deepest dark, believe,
Hope sprouts as tender as a young leaf.

🧩 Riddle

Ich bin das Gegenteil von Freud und Huld,
manchmal bin ich Schicksal, manchmal Schuld.
Man wünscht mich niemandem, ob klein, ob groß,
mein Kommen ist oft tränenreich und bloß.
Ich trage "das" als meinen Begleiter schwer.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I am the opposite of joy and grace,
Sometimes I am fate, sometimes blame's embrace.
No one wishes for me, whether small or tall,
My arrival often brings tears and bareness to all.
I carry "das" as my heavy companion.

What am I?

Solution: das Unglück (misfortune/disaster)

✨ Other Information

Word Composition:

"Unglück" is a compound word, composed of:

• Un-: A prefix often expressing the opposite or negation (like 'un-' or 'dis-' in English, as in Unrecht - injustice, Unmöglich - impossible).
• Glück (das): The state of happiness, good fortune, luck.

➡️ So, "Unglück" literally means "un-luck" or "the opposite of luck/happiness".

Cultural Notes:

The number 13 is considered an unlucky number in many Western cultures. Friday the 13th is often seen as an unlucky day (ein Unglückstag). Black cats crossing one's path from the left are also considered bringers of bad luck (Unglücksbringer) in some places.