unterstellen

impute

verb un-ter-SHTEL-en Less Common

Also means

subordinate

Usage Note

unterstellen has two stress patterns with different meanings: stressed on un- it separates and means to shelter or store something (etwas unterstellen), but stressed on -stel- it is inseparable and means to insinuate or impute a motive to someone. Context and stress decide which.

Examples

"Du willst mir böse Absichten unterstellen."

Natural Translation

You want to impute bad intentions to me.

Literal Translation

You want to-me bad intentions impute.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Separable Verbs: When the Prefix Splits

German separable verbs split in two: the verb stays near the front and the prefix flies to the end. Learn the stress test and where every piece goes.

June 5, 2026 5 min read