Ungenügenden

Ungenügend is a German adjective meaning not sufficient or not adequate, i.e., unsatisfactory or inadequate in meeting a standard or requirement. It is commonly used to describe performances, arguments, evidence, or resources that fail to meet a given benchmark. In education, a grade or assessment labeled ungenügend typically signals failure or the lowest level of evaluation, though exact grading scales vary by region and institution. Beyond schooling, the term appears in legal, administrative, and everyday contexts to indicate insufficiency.

The word is formed from un- (a negation prefix) attached to genügend, itself derived from genügen, to suffice. The adjective follows standard German declension patterns and has inflected forms such as ungenügend, ungenügende, ungenügenden, etc., depending on gender, number, and case. The form ungenügenden is an inflected, plural or dative/accusative singular form: for example, dem ungenügenden Bericht, die ungenügenden Berichte, den ungenügenden Berichten.

Common usage notes include its predicative and attributive positions. Predicatively: Die Leistung ist ungenügend. Attributively: eine ungenügende Begründung; der ungenügende Bericht; die ungenügenden Beweise. The term has near-synonyms such as unzureichend, mangelhaft, and unpassend, though each carries its own nuance.

See also: Ungerechtfertigt? No. See also related terms in evaluation and assessment.

In sum, ungenügend denotes failure to meet standards and is used across contexts to characterize insufficiency or inadequacy, with ungenügenden as a common inflected form in various cases.