Gefallener

Gefallener is a form of the German adjective ge-fallen, derived from the past participle fallen. As an adjective it describes something or someone that has fallen and can be used in various grammatical contexts depending on case, gender and determiner.

In practice, gefallener is most common in the masculine nominative singular when there is no definite article or when an indefinite article is used. For example, gefallener Mann means “a fallen man” or “the fallen man” in neutral contexts, and ein gefallener Mann means “a fallen man.” The ending -er signals the masculine nominative singular in strong or mixed declension patterns. By contrast, with a definite article in the nominative masculine, the form is der gefallene Mann, where the ending changes to -e.

The word can also be used attributively with other case forms, producing other endings in accordance with standard German adjective declension. For instance, den gefallenen Mann (accusative), des gefallenen Mannes (genitive), or dem gefallenen Mann (dative). In feminine or neuter forms and in different cases, the endings differ accordingly (z. B. die gefallene Frau, das gefallene Kind).

Gefallen can also function as a noun in the plural: die Gefallenen, meaning “the fallen” or “the fallen soldiers,” especially in war memorials or historical contexts. This noun usage is capitalized and pluralized, distinct from the adjectival form.

In summary, gefallener is a common masculine nominative singular adjective form referring to something that has fallen, with its exact ending determined by the presence of determiners and the grammatical case.