Duftende

Duftende is a German adjective meaning fragrant or having a pleasant smell. It is formed from the noun Duft (fragrance) and the present participle suffix -ende, and functions primarily as an attributive modifier before a noun.

In practice, duftende is declined to agree with the noun it modifies. Common examples include die duftende Blume (nominative feminine singular), der duftende Mann (nominative masculine singular), das duftende Parfüm (nominative neuter singular), and die duftenden Blumen (nominative plural). The endings reflect standard German adjective declension and indicate the presence of an article or determiner in the noun phrase. Without a definite determiner, or with different determiner patterns, the endings can vary, but the root meaning remains “fragrant.”

Usage and nuance: duftende is used across contexts such as horticulture, perfumery, cosmetics, and literary descriptions to convey a noticeable and pleasant scent. It can describe flowers, herbs, spices, or scented products, and often appears in descriptive passages or product descriptions. While duftend is the parallel participle form, the attributive duftende is the more common spelling when placed directly before a noun in written German.

Related terms include wohlriechend (well-smelling) and aromatisch (aromatic). In contrast, antonyms convey the absence of scent, such as geruchlos (odorless) or stinkend (stinking), depending on context.

Overall, duftende is a productive, neutral descriptor in German that conveys a positive olfactory impression and is versatile for describing objects with a noticeable fragrance.