Skip to content

unberechenbar

unpredictable, erratic

adjective un-be-REKH-en-bar Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Quality

Also means

mercurial, unreliable

Usage Note

Unberechenbar literally means 'incalculable' and, applied to people, describes an unreliable temperament from which you cannot predict what comes next. It can be neutral-scientific (unpredictable weather) or clearly negative about a person's volatile behaviour.

Examples

"Der unberechenbare Chef schuf ein angespanntes Arbeitsklima."

Natural Translation

The unpredictable boss created a tense working environment.

Literal Translation

The unpredictable boss created a tense work climate.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore German by topic