unerwarteten

Unerwarteten is the plural inflected form of the German adjective unerwartet, meaning unexpected. It is used to describe a plural noun when a definite determiner is present, as in die unerwarteten Ereignisse. The ending -en reflects the weak inflection used after definite articles or other determiners in the plural.

Etymology and forms: unerwartet derives from the prefix un- attached to erwarten (to expect). In plural, the form unerwarteten appears when the noun it modifies is specified by a determiner, for example die unerwarteten Wendungen, den unerwarteten Ergebnissen. Without a determiner, the adjective would typically take a different ending, such as unerwartete Ereignisse in the bare plural.

Usage: the term is common in journalism, fiction, and everyday language to characterize events, outcomes, or situations that were not anticipated. It is primarily an attributive adjective; as an adverb, the word remains unerwartet in German (e.g., Es kam unerwartet).

Examples:

- Die unerwarteten Wendungen der Geschichte fesselten die Leser.

- Die unerwarteten Ergebnisse sorgten für Aufsehen.

- Mit den unerwarteten Ereignissen musste die Planung angepasst werden.

See also: Unerwartung (the noun form meaning the state or act of being unexpected), unerwartet (the base adjective, or adverbial form).