Jüngeren

Jüngeren is the inflected comparative form of the German adjective jung, meaning younger. In German, adjectives are declined to reflect gender, number, and case, and jünger (the base comparative form) appears with different endings. The form jüngeren is one of the common inflections, especially after definite articles or in other contexts that require a weak or mixed ending.

Usage and grammar

As a comparative adjective, jünger denotes a smaller age or a younger one relative to another. The stem vowel often carries umlaut changes: jung becomes jünger in its base comparative form. The ending -en in jüngeren is found in many cases and numbers, for example:

- der jüngere Mann (nominative masculine)

- den jüngeren Mann (accusative masculine)

- dem jüngeren Mann (dative masculine)

- des jüngeren Mannes (genitive masculine)

- die jüngeren Männer (plural nominative)

- der jüngeren Frauen (genitive feminine)

In contexts with definite determiners, adjectives commonly take weak endings, so forms like den jüngeren, der jüngeren, or die jüngeren occur.

Noun use

Jüngeren can also function as a noun when capitalized as Jüngeren, meaning the younger people or the younger generation. In this noun sense, it appears as: Die Jüngeren sind heute eingeladen. This usage is more typical in plural references to a group.

Etymology

Jung derives from Old High German and other Germanic roots meaning young. The comparative form jünger is formed with the added ending and, in many forms, includes the umlaut change from u to ü.

See also

Related terms include jung (positive form), jünger (base comparative form), and die Jüngeren (noun usage referring to younger people or the younger generation).