Einzelner

Einzelner is a German adjective meaning single, individual, or particular. It describes a single item or person, or emphasizes that something is separate from others. The form is derived from the base adjective einzeln and is used in attributive position before nouns or in predicative constructions.

Declension and examples

As an attributive adjective it follows standard German inflection rules and takes endings according to case, gender, and number. For example: nominative masculine singular: ein einzelner Mann; accusative masculine singular: einen einzelnen Mann; nominative feminine singular: eine einzelne Frau; accusative feminine singular: eine einzelne Frau; nominative neuter singular: ein einzelnes Kind; accusative neuter singular: ein einzelnes Kind. In the plural without an article, the strong ending is used: einzelne Männer, einzelne Frauen, einzelne Dinge. Dative forms include: einem einzelnen Mann, einer einzelnen Frau, einem einzelnen Kind, mit einzelnen Personen.

Capitalized noun form

Einzelner can also appear as a capitalized noun der Einzelne, meaning “the individual.” In this usage it refers to a single person as a person or moral agent. The plural is die Einzelnen, and the genitive form is des Einzelnen. This noun usage is common in formal or philosophical and social contexts, as in Jeder Einzelne ist verantwortlich.

Related terms and usage

Common closely related words include einzeln (the base adjective, meaning single or individually) and Einzelperson or Individualität for broader concepts of a single person or individuality. In everyday language, einsatz or emphasis on individuality is more often conveyed with phrases like eine einzelne Person or einzelne Dinge, rather than the noun form Einzelner.

See also

Einzelperson, Individualität, Individual.