Adjectives with un- and -los

In English, the prefixes "in-" and "un-" and the suffix "-less" are used to suggest a lack or negation when they are added to an adjective. In German, you will see un- and -los for negative adjectives (and adverbs!). Sometimes the resulting adjective will look similar to its English equivalent:

Allein bin ich hilflos, ein Vogel im Wind.

Alone I am helpless, a bird in the wind.

Caption 19, Nicole - Ein bisschen Frieden
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Und keinen Schreck kriegen, das fühlt sich erst mal völlig unbequem an.

And don't be scared, at first it feels completely uncomfortable.

Caption 50, Die Schmerzspezialisten - Diese Schlafposition solltest du unbedingt vermeiden!
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Also ich finde Dramen wirklich unnötig und versuche ich auch zu vermeiden.

Well, I find drama really unnecessary and I also try to avoid it.

Caption 20, 2raumwohnung - Liebe mit Musik am Laufen halten
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Drei Lehrstellen blieben in diesem Jahr unbesetzt, es gab einfach zu wenig Bewerber.

Three apprenticeship positions were left unfilled this year, there were simply too few applicants.

Caption 13, Deutsche Welle - Lieber Ausbildung als Studium
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At the same time, you will need to be careful and learn the words individually, as there are plenty of adjectives that don't translate so clearly. Sometimes, a different suffix or prefix is used in the other language, and other times the real translation is a word that looks completely different. There are also plenty of false friends lurking about!

Es sind so wenig Menschen arbeitslos wie seit zwanzig Jahren nicht.

There haven't been so few unemployed people in twenty years.

Caption 43, Angela Merkel - Neujahrsansprache - Part 1
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Fast lautlos schwebt das größte Passagierflugzeug der Welt über den Rhein-Main-Airport.

The largest passenger plane in the world hovers almost silently above the Rhein-Main-Airport.

Caption 5, Rund um den Flughafen - Der neue Airbus A-380
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Also, ich bin komplett fassungslos, weil ich hab nie gedacht [sic], dass ich ge'... gewinnen werde und, ja...

Well, I am completely stunned because I never thought that I would wi'... win and, yes...

Caption 4, Wintersport - 7. Austrian Freeski Open - Part 3
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Further Learning
Do you know what the following adjectives/adverbs mean? Take a guess, and then see if you are right using a German to English dictionary. Mackellos, zeitlos, gehörlos, hoffnungslos, gnadenlos, erfolglos, beispiellos, drahtlos, unverschämt, unfähig, unabhängig, unabsehbar, unerträglich, unfassbar, unflexibel, unverbindlich.