verb

unterscheiden

distinguish

Etwas als anders erkennen als etwas anderes.

Definition & meaning

unterscheiden means to distinguish, differentiate, or tell apart.

etwas von etwas unterscheiden: to distinguish one thing from another.
Man kann die beiden Sorten leicht unterscheiden. — “The two varieties are easy to tell apart.”
sich unterscheiden: to differ or be different.
Die beiden Angebote unterscheiden sich im Preis. — “The two offers differ in price.”

Grammar & word origin

Unterscheiden is a verb. It is inseparable: zu unterscheiden, not unterzuscheiden.

Principal forms: unterscheiden – unterschied – hat unterschieden.

The verb is formed from unter (“between/among”) and scheiden (“to separate”). Its basic idea is separating things mentally so their differences can be recognized.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms depend on the meaning:

differenzieren means to differentiate, often by identifying or making finer distinctions. It can sound more formal or analytical than unterscheiden.
auseinanderhalten means to keep or tell things apart, often when they might be confused.
For sich unterscheiden, abweichen means to diverge or deviate, often from a norm or expectation.

Possible antonyms, depending on context:

gleichsetzen means to equate two things, treating them as the same.
verwechseln means to confuse one thing with another; it describes failing to distinguish correctly.

Common phrases & collocations

zwischen zwei Dingen unterscheiden — to distinguish between two things
etwas klar/deutlich unterscheiden — to distinguish something clearly
sich kaum voneinander unterscheiden — to differ very little from one another
wichtig/unwichtig unterscheiden — to distinguish between what is important and unimportant