Questions & Answers about Dieses Dokument ist unklar.
Dieses is the German equivalent of English this (pointing to something near in space, time, or context): this document.
However, German dieses can sometimes also be translated as that in English, depending on context and what sounds more natural:
- Dieses Dokument ist unklar. → This document is unclear. (most literal)
- In some contexts: That document is unclear. (if English prefers that there)
So the basic idea is: dieses = this (one here).
Because dieses has to match the gender, number, and case of Dokument.
- Gender:
- Dokument is neuter in German: das Dokument.
- Number:
- It’s singular (one document).
- Case:
- It’s the subject of the sentence: Dieses Dokument ist unklar.
- Subjects are in the nominative case.
For dies- in the nominative singular, the endings are:
- dieser – masculine (like der)
- diese – feminine (like die)
- dieses – neuter (like das)
Since Dokument is neuter nominative singular, you must say dieses Dokument.
In German, all nouns are capitalized, no matter where they appear in the sentence.
Dokument is a noun (a thing), so it must be written with a capital D:
- Dieses Dokument ist unklar.
Never write it as dieses dokument.
Dokument is neuter: das Dokument.
Unfortunately, German grammatical gender is often not predictable from the meaning, and endings like -ment can be tricky. Some patterns:
- Many -ment words in German are neuter:
- das Dokument, das Instrument, das Experiment
But there are many exceptions in the language overall, so in practice you should learn each noun together with its article, for example:
- das Dokument
- der Tisch
- die Zeitung
That way you know the gender from the start, which then explains why we say dieses Dokument.
Dokument is in the nominative case because it is the subject of the sentence:
- Dieses Dokument (subject, nominative)
- ist (verb)
- unklar (predicate adjective describing the subject)
So: Nominative singular, neuter → dieses Dokument.
Because unklar here is used predicatively (after sein) and predicative adjectives in German do not take endings.
Predicative use (no ending):
- Dieses Dokument ist unklar. – This document is unclear.
- Die Regel ist kompliziert. – The rule is complicated.
Attributive use (with endings):
- ein unklares Dokument – an unclear document
- das unklare Dokument – the unclear document
So:
- After sein / werden / bleiben, the adjective stays in its basic form: unklar.
- Before a noun, it takes an ending: unklares / unklare / unklaren, etc., depending on article, gender, case.
Both can often be translated as not clear / unclear, and in many everyday contexts they are interchangeable.
- Dieses Dokument ist unklar. – This document is unclear.
- Dieses Dokument ist nicht klar. – This document is not clear.
Subtle nuances:
- unklar is a single descriptive word, sounds a bit more compact and sometimes a bit more formal or technical.
- nicht klar literally emphasizes the negation: it is not clear.
- You might choose nicht klar if you contrast it with klar:
- Das erste Dokument ist klar, aber dieses Dokument ist nicht klar.
- You might choose nicht klar if you contrast it with klar:
In most practical situations, you can safely treat unklar ≈ nicht klar.
Yes, but there is a difference in what you’re pointing to.
Dieses Dokument ist unklar.
- Means this document (here / just mentioned) is unclear.
- More specific and deictic: you’re pointing to or highlighting one particular document.
Das Dokument ist unklar.
- Means the document is unclear.
- Refers to a document that is already known in the context, but without the strong this one here feeling.
In English, both might translate as:
- This document is unclear. or The document is unclear. The correct English choice depends more on context and naturalness than on a strict one-to-one rule.
Ist is the 3rd person singular form of sein (to be):
- ich bin – I am
- du bist – you are (informal singular)
- er / sie / es ist – he / she / it is
- wir sind – we are
- ihr seid – you are (informal plural)
- sie sind – they are / you are (formal)
Dieses Dokument = es → 3rd person singular neuter → you must use ist:
- Dieses Dokument ist unklar. – This document is unclear.
Yes, that is grammatically correct, but it sounds more emphatic or stylistically marked, often more like written or formal German, or used for special emphasis.
Dieses Dokument ist unklar.
- Neutral word order: This document is unclear.
Unklar ist dieses Dokument.
- Emphasizes unklar: Unclear – that’s what this document is.
This fronting of the adjective is mainly about focus/emphasis, not about changing the basic meaning.
Approximate pronunciation for English speakers:
- dieses → DEE-zes
- Dokument → do-ko-MENT
- o as in door but shorter
- stress on the last syllable: -MENT
- ist → like English ist in list, without the l
- unklar → OON-klar
- u like in too, shorter
- r is a German r, often softened at the end
Phrase rhythm:
- DEE-zes do-ko-MENT ist OON-klar.
Unklar is mainly used for things that convey information or meaning, such as:
- ein unklarer Text – an unclear text
- eine unklare Anweisung – an unclear instruction
- eine unklare Situation – an unclear situation
About people, you would usually say something different, for example:
- Er drückt sich unklar aus. – He expresses himself unclearly.
- Seine Aussagen sind unklar. – His statements are unclear.
Describing a person directly as unklar is unusual; instead you describe their communication or statements as unclear.
Yes, several options, with slightly different nuances:
- missverständlich – ambiguous / liable to be misunderstood
- Dieses Dokument ist missverständlich.
- zweideutig – ambiguous, can be taken in two ways
- Dieses Dokument ist zweideutig.
- unverständlich – incomprehensible, you can’t really understand it
- Dieses Dokument ist unverständlich.
- ungenau – imprecise, not exact
- Dieses Dokument ist ungenau.
All are negative, but:
- unklar focuses on lack of clarity.
- missverständlich / zweideutig focus on possible misunderstandings or multiple interpretations.
- unverständlich suggests it’s so unclear you basically cannot understand it.