Herausgefallenen

Herausgefallen is the past participle of the German verb herausfallen, which means to fall out or to stand out in a conspicuous way, depending on context. As an adjective, herausgefallen describes something that has already fallen out or that is notably distinct from its surroundings. The form herausgefallenen is a declined variant used in attributive position or in certain inflected phrases.

In grammar, herausgefallen is a participle that can function as an adjective or as part of compound tenses when used with sein or haben. When used attributively before a noun, it is declined like a regular adjective. For example: der herausgefallene Zahn (nominative singular masculine), die herausgefallenen Zähne (nominative plural), das herausgefallene Zahnfeld is less common but illustrates usage with neutral nouns. In the dative plural one finds den herausgefallenen Zähnen, and in the genitive plural der herausgefallenen Zähne. In ellipsis or predicative position, it can also appear as herausgefallen, e.g., Der Zahn ist herausgefallen.

Typical contexts in which the term appears include medical or dental reporting, where a tooth or dental fixture has literally fallen out, as in Der Patient hat einen herausgefallenen Zahn. It can also appear metaphorically to describe elements that stand out or do not fit within a set, though such usage is less common than the literal sense.

See also: herausfallen, participles used as adjectives, German adjective declension.