Unbekannte

Unbekannte is a German term that functions as both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, the singular das Unbekannte denotes something that is not known, an unknown quantity or concept; the plural die Unbekannten can refer to multiple unknowns or to unidentified people. As an adjective, unbekannt means unknown or unfamiliar and is used to describe nouns: ein unbekannter Ort (an unknown place), eine unbekannte Person (an unknown person).

In mathematics and science, die Unbekannten designates the variables to be determined in equations or systems. For example, in a simple equation, x and y can be described as die Unbekannten. The singular das Unbekannte is used when speaking about the abstract idea of the unknown in a problem, e.g., das Unbekannte in dieser Gleichung.

In everyday language, Unbekannte also appears in contexts describing people who are not yet identified. A person who has not been identified might be referred to as eine Unbekannte or simply als Unbekannte in a report or narrative, though more common is to say eine unbekannte Person.

In culture and media, the term appears in phrases such as Der Unbekannte (the unknown person) or Der unbekannte Soldat (the Unknown Soldier) as titles or motifs. The word is neutral in tone but can carry context-dependent implications about identity, detection, or mystery.

Overall, Unbekannte and unbekannt are core components of German for expressing the idea of not yet known things or people, with specialized uses in mathematics, literature, and everyday speech.