Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| hässlich | /ˈhɛslɪç/ |
| häßlich (pre-1996) | |
| unschön | [ˈʊnʃøːn] (narrow) |
The term hässlich is used to describe something that is displeasing to the eye or not aesthetically pleasing. It can describe physical appearance, but it is also used figuratively to describe unpleasant behavior or situations, such as a hässlicher Streit (an ugly quarrel). To describe the quality of being ugly, you can use the noun die Hässlichkeit. If you want to describe someone as an ugly person, you might use nouns like Bratze, Kackbratze or Schreckschraube.
Which one should you use?
While hässlich is a strong and blunt word, unschön is a more euphemistic and polite way to describe something as unattractive or unpleasant to look at.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, hässlich must take different endings depending on the gender, number and case of the noun it modifies (for example, ein hässlicher Hund for a masculine nominative noun).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhɛslɪç/
Did you know?
- The word hässlich is etymologically rooted in the word Hass, which means 'hate'. To call something 'ugly' in German is literally to describe it as 'hate-worthy'.
- In German, describing a person as hässlich is often perceived as more aggressive than in English because of its linguistic root in 'hate'.
- The spelling of hässlich changed in 1996 during a major orthographic reform, replacing the older häßlich to make the spelling more consistent across the language.
Examples in context
- Es ist zu hässlich.It's too ugly.This sentence shows the use of hässlich to indicate something is too ugly.Tatoeba #2532978 by brauchinet, translation #2249338 by CK
- Es war sehr hässlich.It was really ugly.This sentence demonstrates the use of hässlich to describe something as really ugly.Tatoeba #5493567 by wolfgangth, translation #4495036 by CK
- Es ist nicht hässlich.It's not ugly.This sentence shows how to express that something is not hässlich.Tatoeba #8473363 by Luiaard, translation #2249137 by CK
- Absolut hässlichAbsolutely ugly
- Ziemlich grässlichPretty dreadful
- Einfach nur abstoßendJust plain repulsive
- So hässlich wie eine KröteAs ugly as a toad
- 169 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Julian are looking at a painting in a gallery.
- JuliaSchau dir dieses Bild an, Julian.Look at this picture, Julian.
- JulianEs ist ein bisschen hässlich, findest du nicht?It is a bit ugly, don't you think?
- JuliaJa, die Farben sind schrecklich.Yes, the colors are terrible.
- JulianLass uns lieber weitergehen.Let's rather move on.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ugly” translations and entries hässlich, unschön, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hässlich, unschön, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
