ununterbrochen

Ununterbrochen is a German adjective and adverb meaning uninterrupted or continuous, describing actions, processes, or events that proceed without breaks. As an adverb, it can modify verbs: “Sie arbeitete ununterbrochen durch die Nacht.” As an attributive or predicative adjective, it can describe nouns: “eine ununterbrochene Lieferung,” “ununterbrochene Rede.”

Etymology and form: ununterbrochen is formed from the negation prefix un- attached to unterbrochen, the past participle of unterbrechen (to interrupt). The construction conveys “not interrupted” or “without interruption.” It is a single, unhyphenated German word and is used in both colloquial and formal language, though its connotations are most common in describing duration, continuity, or persistence.

Usage and nuance: The term emphasizes continuity over time or across a sequence of events. It is suitable for everyday statements, workplace contexts, and technical descriptions, such as ununterbrochene Arbeitszeiten, eine ununterbrochene Stromversorgung, or ununterbrochene Datenverbindung. In more formal registers, it can denote a long, uninterrupted period without breaks, sometimes with subjective emphasis or hyperbole.

Translations and related terms: In English, ununterbrochen translates to uninterrupted, continuous, or nonstop, depending on context. Related German terms include stetig, kontinuierlich, and ständig, which convey related but distinct nuances in mathematics, physics, or everyday use. The opposite concept is unterbrochen (interrupted).

In summary, ununterbrochen conveys the idea of ongoing sameness or persistence without breaks, applicable across everyday speech and technical contexts.