Usage Note
unbekannt is bekannt ('known, familiar') with the negating prefix un-. Police reports use gegen Unbekannt ('against a person unknown'), and unbekannt verzogen on returned mail means 'moved, address unknown'.
Examples
"Der Täter ist noch unbekannt."
Natural Translation
The perpetrator is still unknown.
Literal Translation
The perpetrator is still unknown.

Free starter pack
Building your German vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore German by topic