Fensters

Fensters is a term used in German grammar to refer to the genitive singular form of Fenster, the neuter noun meaning window. Fenster is a common everyday noun, and Fensters appears when the word is in a genitive construction, as in phrases meaning “of the window” or “the window’s.”

In standard modern German, the typical genitive construction is des Fensters. This means that Fensters functions as the stem that combines with the determiner des to express possession or association, for example in Die Farbe des Fensters (the color of the window). Fensters is not used as a standalone plural noun; the plural form for windows remains Fenster.

Origin and usage: Fenster derives from Latin fenestra, through Old High German and Middle High German, with the modern form stabilized in Early New High German. Fensters appears mainly in formal or written contexts as part of genitive phrases. In everyday speech, speakers often express possession with possessive pronouns (sein Fenster, ihr Fenster) or rephrase with a prepositional construction such as “das Fenster von” or “das Fenster des Hauses.”

Notes: Fensters should not be confused with the plural Fenster (which is used for multiple windows in most contexts). The distinction lies in case and article: Fensters is the genitive singular form used after des or in similar genitive constructions, whereas Fenster serves as the base plural or nominative/accusative singular in other cases.

See also: Fenster, German grammar, genitive case, German noun declension.