unreif

Unreif is a German adjective meaning not ripe or not mature. It describes something that has not yet reached full development, whether a fruit, a physical object, a process, or a person. In everyday language it can refer to literal unripe produce as well as to figurative immaturity or insufficient readiness for a situation.

Etymology and form: The word comes from the verb reifen, meaning to ripen, with the prefix un- indicating negation. Unreif agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies, and its comparative and superlative forms follow the standard pattern (unreifer, unreifeste, etc.). The noun Unreife (or die Unreife) can denote immaturity as a concept or quality.

Usage: Predicative examples include “Der Apfel ist unreif” (the apple is unripe) and “Sein Verhalten wirkt unreif” (his behavior seems immature). Attributive use appears as “unreife Früchte” or “eine unreife Entscheidung.” As a sociocultural term, Unreife can describe developmental stages in people or ideas, often implying that more experience or time is needed before readiness is achieved.

Notes: The opposite of unreif is reif, meaning ripe or mature. In translation, unreif is usually rendered as unripe when referring to fruit, and as immature when referring to people or concepts. The term is common in both everyday speech and more formal writing, without implying a fixed judgment about a person’s overall worth.

See also: reif; unreife (noun form); immaturity; maturation.