ungewohnte

Ungewohnt is a German adjective meaning unfamiliar or not accustomed, referring to something new or outside a person’s usual experience. It can describe situations, environments, or objects that feel different from what someone is used to.

Etymology and form: The word is formed from the negating prefix un- plus gewohnt, the past participle of gewöhnen (to accustom). As with other German adjectives, ungewohnt takes different endings depending on gender, number, and article when it appears before a noun (for example, eine ungewohnte Situation, die ungewohnte Umgebung, die ungewohnte Stadt).

Usage and nuance: Ungewohnt often emphasizes personal unfamiliarity in a given context. It is commonly used for experiences that are new to a person or not part of one’s routine, rather than for objective rarity. For example: Es ist ungewohnt, früh aufzustehen; Eine ungewohnte Umgebung kann Stress verursachen. It can be contrasted with ungewohntlich or ungewöhnlich, where the latter more often signals general rarity or peculiarity rather than personal inexperience.

Noun form and capitalization: Like many adjectives, ungewohnt is not capitalized when it modifies a noun. In rare cases, it can be nominalized as Ungewohntes or Ungewohnten, meaning “the unfamiliar” or “the unfamiliar ones,” but this usage is uncommon and more literary.

See also: Ungewöhnlich, which means unusual in a general, objective sense; ungewohnt focuses more on personal unfamiliarity or nonroutine experiences.