unerfüllten

Unerfüllten is an attributive form of the German adjective unerfüllt, meaning unfulfilled or unmet. It is used to describe desires, plans, or obligations that have not been realized or completed. The form appears when the adjective agrees with a noun in gender, number, and case, most commonly in plural or in certain case forms, for example die unerfüllten Wünsche (the unfulfilled wishes).

Etymology and grammar

The word is formed from the prefix un- indicating negation and the verb erfüllen, “to fulfill.” The participle erfüllt becomes unerfüllt in negated constructions. As an attributive adjective, unerfüllten (with the -en ending) appears before a noun in various declined forms, depending on the case and definiteness of the noun it modifies. In common usage, you will encounter phrases such as unerfüllte Träume or die unerfüllten Wünsche.

Usage and context

Unerfüllten is widely used in literary, journalistic, and psychological contexts to convey a sense of longing, disappointment, or incomplete realization. It often appears in discussions of personal life, social expectations, and cultural critique. Common collocations include unerfüllte Wünsche, unerfüllte Träume, and unerfüllte Erwartungen, each highlighting something important that remains unrealized. The term can carry emotional nuance, ranging from mild disappointment to existential yearning, depending on the surrounding text.

See also

Erfüllung, the noun for fulfillment or realization, and unerfüllt, the base adjective form. Related concepts include Sehnsucht (longing) and Enttäuschung (disappointment).