unter

See also: Unter and unter-

German

Etymology

From Middle High German under, unter, from Old High German untar, from Proto-Germanic *under (compare Old Saxon undar, Hunsrik unne, Dutch onder, English under).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʊntɐ/

• Audio (Germany):

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• Audio (Austria):

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• Rhymes: -ʊntɐ

Preposition

unter [with dative (indicating location) or accusative (indicating movement)]

1. under
2. below
3. among, between
   • 1919, Walther Kabel, Irrende Seelen, Werner Dietsch Verlag, page 108:

     Unsere Unterredung wurde jetzt im leichten Plauderton geführt wie ein harmloses Gespräch unter guten Bekannten.

     Our discussion was now held in a light conversational tone like a harmless chat between friendly acquaintances.

4. (chiefly literary) with; along with; accompanied by an action (often concessive)

   Die englische Sprache überlebte die normannische Eroberung unter weitgehendem Verlust ihrer ursprünglichen Struktur.

   The English language survived the Norman conquest with a far-reaching loss of its original structure.

5. (rare or regional) during

Usage notes

• The sense “during” is chiefly restricted to a few expressions, such as unter der Woche (“during the week, on weekdays”), in standard usage. In southern German speech it is used more freely.
• With a definite article, the following contractions may occur: unterm (= unter dem), untern (= unter den), and unters (= unter das). These are non-obligatory contractions.

Antonyms

• über

See also

• unten
• unterer

Further reading

• “unter” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache