Gewonnene

Gewonnene is the inflected form of the German past participle gewonnen, derived from the verb gewinnen (to win, to gain). It can function as an adjective or, when capitalized as Das Gewonnene, as a noun meaning the things that have been won or the winnings. The form gewonnene appears in attributive position and agrees with gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.

As an attributive adjective, gewonnene takes different endings depending on the noun it describes. Examples: einen gewonnenen Preis (masculine singular, accusative); eine gewonnene Mannschaft (feminine singular, nominative); das gewonnene Auto (neuter singular, nominative/accusative); die gewonnenen Preise (plural, nominative/accusative). When used as a noun, it is capitalized: das Gewonnene, referring to the winnings or to what has been won, rather than to the process of winning itself.

Usage and nuance: gewonnene emphasizes the outcome or result (what has been won) rather than the act of winning. It is common in sports reporting, prize contexts, or discussions of achievements, as well as in more general contexts where the focus is on the gained items or benefits.

Etymology and relation: gewonnene comes from the past participle gewonnen, which forms part of the perfect tense with haben in German. The related nouns Gewinn (profit, Gewinn) and Gewinner (winner) are distinct but share the same root, connected to the concept of obtaining or attaining something through effort or chance.