Häufige

Häufige is the inflected form of the German adjective häufig, meaning frequent or common. It is not a separate noun, but in proper contexts it can be capitalized when the adjective is nominalized, as in das Häufige, to refer to the concept of frequency.

Grammatical usage: As an attributive adjective before nouns, häufige ends with -e in many contexts: die häufige Frage, das häufige Problem. In plural, after a definite article: die häufigen Fragen; without article: häufige Fragen. In neuter singular with a definite article: das häufige Problem. The form also appears in other noun phrases such as häufige Symptome or häufige Muster. When used as a nominalized noun, das Häufige may denote the general notion of frequency, though this nominal usage is relatively rare and typically found in analytical or theoretical writing.

Nominalization and capitalization: In ordinary prose, häufig is written with lowercase initial letter when used as an adjective. If the word is converted into a noun, it is capitalized: das Häufige. This nominal use is most common in linguistic, statistical, or pedagogical discussions where frequency or commonality is the focus.

Beispiele: Die häufige Frage wird oft am Anfang der Sitzung gestellt. Es gibt häufige Symptome wie Husten und Fieber. Wir beantworten häufige Fragen. In statistischen Analysen kann man das Häufige der Ereignisse untersuchen, um Muster zu erkennen.